One rainy day last year, Shalini Yeap noticed a dog sitting in the middle of the street outside of her condominium building. As the owner of two beagles, Bella and Eva, she was immediately concerned as a dog would usually get out of the rain – but this poor pooch simply sat there.
Over the next few days she and her partner, Anthon Jermayne Tanabalasingam, observed the dog had a collar but was always out by the roadside. He was playful and friendly whenever they petted him or fed him a treat.
They didn’t realise it then, but the couple were already growing attached to him.
The dog would sometimes chase after cars and, one day as they were watching, he was grazed by a vehicle. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt.
“We decided to bring him in with us to keep him safe while we looked for his owner,” Anthon told FMT.
Anthon and Shalini posted in a community social media group and walked the dog through the neighborhood to see if anyone knew him.
“One shopkeeper recognised him and said his owner came to the shop every evening,” Shalini said. Excited to reunite the hound with his family, they left their contact details with the shopkeeper.
“We were expecting a call that same night,” she added. But when they didn’t receive one, they returned to the shop the next day and were told the owner had said they could keep the dog.
Shalini and Anthon were shocked that anyone would abandon a pet with such a sweet personality, and decided to find him a new family that would appreciate him.
But first, they brought him to a vet as he didn’t seem to be in the best of health, and gave him a new, stronger name to help him with his recovery.
Thus, the sweet doggo was reborn as Zeus.
In the loving care of his rescuers, Zeus bounced back and was soon ready to be adopted. The couple found prospective adopters in Penang, but – much to their surprise – the usually docile dog went on a destruction spree not long after they left him with his new family.
Anthon and Shalini were called back to retrieve him and, when they did, Zeus immediately rushed to Anthon.
“Believe it or not, he held Anthon’s hands with his paws and put his face on them,” Shalini recalled in awe.
Clearly, Zeus had decided he belonged with Shalini, Anthon, Bella and Eve. “We weren’t prepared to admit it, but we had fallen in love with him – and apparently the feeling was mutual,” Shalini added fondly.
Not long after, the couple found a new home with a big yard so Zeus could spread his legs and have the space he requires to live a happy, healthy life.
“Zeus is the goodest boy,” Anthon said warmly. “He is a gentle, loving dog who cannot get enough chest scratches.
“He loves sunbathing, rolling around on the grass in the garden, and watching nature shows on TV. He also likes pooping on slopes!”
As it turns out, Zeus is a Malaysian dog through and through as he absolutely loves to eat durian. He also sniffs longingly every time they pass by a nasi kandar shop or a Ramly burger stall, but Shalini ensures he is fed a more nutritious homecooked diet.
“Sometimes when we cook curry at home, we give him some as a rare treat,” she said.
Shalini and Anthon had not intended to grow their family, but Zeus has fit in with his beagle sisters so well – and given all of them so much love and affection – that they are now glad for the fateful rainy day that brought him into their lives.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.