Responsible Pet Owner

Photo from City of Grand Prairie

What does it take to be a responsible animal? For myself, I have two pets a dog and a hamster. 

                                        

                                                 Ice
                                                (Japanese Spitz)

Pancake
(Syrian dwarf)

 
Ice is 7 years old this year and Pancake is 3 months old!

As much I love animals, I know that it has a lot of responsibility to own one. There are many factors to consider as it is a lifelong commitment towards them. Factors are such as the basic needs of the pet and the well being of them. 

How does this affect being a good citizen? Well, it plays a big role in it.

Due to some actions of the pet owner and the pet, it may cause some misunderstanding. For example, owning a dog might cause unhappiness between neighbours if the dog is not well trained. It may be due to the constant barking of the dog that is disturbing the neighbours. 

Residents may get upset with dog's faeces lying around the floor without being cleared as well.
I have seen some dogs that are unleashed and run around the neighbourhood. It might frighten those who are afraid of dogs and also unhappiness to the Muslim. As they are not allowed to have any physical contact with a dog. Even though some Muslims may not be as strict, It would still cause an inconvenience to them.
This is a poster that I recently saw around my house estate. A few days ago, I was chatting with another dog owner named, Derrick. He shared with me that there was a guy who shouted at him " WASH! CLEAN! " when his dog was peeing. Derrick calmly told him that it is not necessary to shout. At the time, Derrick did not have any water to rinse the pee away. Thus, he said he does not have any water to do it and walked away. To my surprise, the guy threatened the owner to kill his dog. This incident really allowed us to reflect and improve ourselves in being better responsible pet owners.

In my opinion,
I think that the guy that shouted who shouted should have talked nicely to Derrick. And also as a pet owner myself, I would only pick up my dog faeces and would not normally clean up his pee. It might seem a little absurd to clean the urine as well. As we do not bring water down with us while walking the dogs. But after some thoughts, a dog's urine might cause unhappiness among the residents as well. However, I feel that it is fine if a dog urine on the grass. Maybe this is something we should discuss when I meet Derrick again. Probably we can bring a small water bottle to rinse the urine away on the floor or the corner of the wall. I feel that Derrick could have explained to the guy why we do not clean our dog's urine as we do not have a habit to that and maybe the guy who shouted will understand.

Being the best pet owner

The first step to being an outstanding pet owner, according to Dr Becker, is taking responsibility. Research on your pet breed knowing what is their characters, the number of walks they need, the portion of food they eat and their maintenance. Knowing the basics of your pet’s upkeep ensures you won’t be caught off guard by troubling behaviour. 

Learning to detect your pet's stress helps too. Major indicators of stress to watch out for include Excessive yawning, licking of lips, shaking dry when not wet, trembling, avoiding or hiding or Hardening of the eyes.

You can reduce their stress by for example If you have a vet visit, “don’t get the carrier out the night before,” give them a few days to get prepared. If they’re nervous alone or travelling, play soothing music, or draw the shades. The fewer stimulus pets receive from the outside world, the less anxiety they’ll have about events outside their control.

Control the pet's reproduction to avoid overpopulation which may lead to them being abandon.  

Some breeds have a harder time socializing than others, but nobody benefits from an antisocial pet. Dr Becker offered these techniques for introducing your pet to strangers:

• Meet on neutral territory, where nobody feels territorial.
• With humans (read: mail carriers), give them the treat to feed your pet.
• With other animals, time and patience are key. Reward calm behaviour

Here are some tips to be a responsible pet owner when walking your dog and make our community a better place!

1. Socialization and appropriate training for your pet to facilitate their well-being and the well-being of other animals and people. 
2. Preventing your pet from negatively impacting other people, animals and the environment. This includes proper waste disposal and noise control.

Objective

As a citizen, we should spare a thought for our neighbour and the people around us that might be affected due to our negligence. Thus, being responsible pet owner would contribute a lot towards the society. And what I have realised is also how I get to know more of the neighbours in my estate whenever I walk my dog, Ice. This is also another way of bonding with them and getting to know them well. As at times, we might need their help one day since they are living the closest among us. I feel that maintaining a good relationship with our neighbours is crucial. It also allowed the neighbourhood to become much more joyful and livelier! As whenever I go to school, I would bump into my neighbour from another block and she would always say have fun in school which did really make my morning.

References

• URLhttps://www.purina.com/about-purina/better-with-pets/11-ways-to-be-the-best-pet-owner
• Website TitlePurina
• Article Title11 Ways to be the Best Pet Owner: Advice from Dr. Marty Becker
• Date AccessedJuly 14, 2018
• URLhttps://www.gptx.org/city-government/city-departments/animal-services/responsible-pet-ownership
• Website TitlePublic Art | City of Grand Prairie
• Article TitleResponsible Pet Ownership
• Date AccessedJuly 14, 2018
• 
  

  

Made In Singapore

Here are some Brands made by SIngaporean companies

1. Tiger Balm 🐯
2. Nippon Paint 
3. UIC Detergent
4. Osim 
5. Prima Taste Sauce Kit - Chilli Crab 🦀

I never knew Singapore was so independent in upbringing their own companies. What caught me off guard is Osim. I never knew this internationally well-known brand, Osim was a home brand until today. 

Photo by OSIM

                                          

The founder of Osim is a Singaporean named Ron Sim Chye Hock who is a businessman and investor. After an estimation of three centuries ago, the businessman saw an opportunity in the healthcare products industry in Singapore. 

Here is a brief description of his background:

He comes from a destitute family which led to difficulties to pay for his tertiary studies. At the age of 8, he had to take up odd jobs such as selling prawn noodles and being a waiter to support his family. Albeit, he found out that he has a talent for doing sales.

OSIM

OSIM International Ltd was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Singapore. It offers massage chairs, foot reflexology rollers, diagnostic equipment, neck and shoulders, handheld massagers, and fitness equipment. Initially, it was named Health Check & Care in 1987. In 1994, he decided to rename the company as OSIM, a combination of his own surname, with the "O" to represent the world. 

Failures & Successes
When the recession hit Singapore in 1985, it was clear to the young company that the small island nation had no economy of scale and, if the company wanted to grow, it would have to seek out new markets.
The first step overseas was to Hongkong in 1986, followed by moves into Taiwan, Malaysia and China. By the time the Asia financial crisis hit in 1997, they were not affected due to the strength of the brand which has grown to more than 590 OSIM outlets in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. However, just having more stores isn't enough. OSIM's success has attracted a range of competitors and copiers. 
Not all of OSIM's moves have gone smoothly, though. During the global financial crisis of 2008, OSIM had to take a write off of " a couple hundred million dollars" for the Brookstone deal. Since then OSIM had become much more structured and systemized, and Sim has taken it upon himself to be more involved in the financial side of things.


Through this research
I am pretty ashamed as I never knew Singapore has the capability of setting up its company of its own. I feel that we should not deem ourselves even though we are just from a little red dot. This has really changed the way I think and broaden my horizon. Understanding Singapore so much more. I always think we are just a small country and is impossible to be successful in Singapore as the others might despise us too. But this has taught me that if I, a Singaporean is ashamed of myself then, of course, the others would not support me too. Most of the successful people does not come from a wealthy family and is it because of their hard work which led them to be successful. To my surprise, Singapore has many capable individuals that can be globally recognized in the future. This has proven to me that Singapore should not undermine their local talents and give them a chance by helping to develop these talents. Also, giving the proper support such as financial schemes etc. instead of looking for foreign talents. After reading up on OSIM, what astounded me was how Mr Ron give a solution to every problem he faced and had never raised the white flag. We should really learn from him for his perseverance and determination no matter what crisis he faced. Today, I am really proud to say I am a Singaporean.

If I were an inventor
I would like to invent a machine with a medical AI inside to be able to form formulae of medicine to cure any diseases such as cancer, aids or uncommon illness. For instance, if a pregnant lady found out that her fetus has development issues. There will be medicine to cure the issue. This would give a chance for the fetus to live. Every life is precious, and I perceived we should cherish and protect each an every life the best we can! Thus, I would love to create such machine to save every life. Since I am taking Food Science and Technology for my diploma, I would be learning science and I can pursue in the medical field for my degree. Maybe one day, I will be able to invent this! And I would proudly say I am a Singaporean.

Reference 

• URLhttp://thinkbusiness.nus.edu/article/osim/
• Website TitleThinkBusiness Zheng He Exploration and collaboration Comments
• Article TitleOSIM and the use of celebrity marketing
• Date Accessed6 May, 2018