Easter Blessing

THE STORY OF HOW SU FERN AND HENG TIONG OPENED THEIR HOMES UP TO EASTER, A SPECIAL NEEDS DOG WITH SUDDEN ACQUIRED RETINAL DEGENERATION SYNDROME

Could you share more about your history with Easter before you decided to bring him home?

Dogs in the “Easter kennel” were some of the first few we bonded with at Mercylight. Back when Calvary was just diagnosed with cancer, a few of us volunteers decided to bring her whole pack out, and that’s when we really got to know the personalities of the dogs in the pack, including Easter. I saw that Easter was smart, calm and surprisingly well-behaved outside. He walked very well and once he got to know you, he opened up a lot. From 2020 onwards, whenever we could, we would bring them out.

What made you decide it was the right time to open your home to Easter? Did you have any doubts?

We always wanted to have a dog in the house, it was always part of the plan, but we weren’t decided on which dog exactly. There were also few different factors that aligned at the same time. It just so happened that the house was ready, and then the circumstances in the Easter pack, with what happened to Scooby and Calvary, and Easter’s Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome.

We also knew that Easter was not doing so well at the shelter, the puppies were annoying him, and he had some skin issues as well. We thought that this new neighbourhood would be good for a dog, as there was quite a lot of greenery around. It felt like the right time and we decided that we could do something to help.

How did you adjust your home to Easter’s needs?

Honestly, not much. The house was empty when we moved in, and we intentionally kept it minimal. Most of the furniture don’t have sharp corners. One thing we do intentionally, is to be consistent in where things are placed. No bags on the floor, nothing sharp lying around, and his bed stays in the same spot. At first, he struggled to find his water bowl, so we had the idea to put the fan next to it, so now he knows the water bowl is by the fan. We also make sure doors are closed (kitchen, toilet), so he doesn’t wander into unsafe spots.

How was your first week with Easter? What were the main challenges?

There weren’t too many challenges, he adjusted quite well. From the first night, Easter already found his spot on the couch. The only thing was the walks. In the beginning, Easter was very scared. There is a track that goes around our estate, but he couldn’t even finish one loop of the track. Sometimes he would panic and want to go home, especially near loud areas or the expressway and if there were kids running about. He’s very smart though, even though he is blind, he mapped out the way back to the house. Over time, we learned to be patient, and slowly expose him to the environment so it becomes more familiar to him. Now, he is a lot more confident within the estate.

How has Easter settled into his new routine? Have there been any changes? Were there any surprises?

He settled into the house very quickly. He has human friends but no dog friends. He hardly barks; in fact, one neighbour didn’t know we had a dog because he is so quiet. He is also surprisingly good with babies and toddlers. The first time Heng Tiong’s niece came, he was so curious and even tried to climb into the pram. If a baby cries, he would get curious and try to look for the baby. With toddlers, he was also very good. One of our friend’s kids came over, and although he was curious, he understood that the toddler was scared and just sat quietly nearby.

One thing that changed was the condition of his coat. The first month he was here, his coat was in bad shape. He scratched a lot, shedded like crazy, and we had to vacuum constantly. It took one to two months before it improved. Now he is much furrier and sheds a lot less.

Any special outings or adventures?

Not yet, we are taking it slow. It took over a month just for him to walk confidently around the estate. Now, he can go a bit further, out the main gate, along the park connector, but he usually wants to turn back after a few minutes. We have plans to bring him to West Coast Park once the dog run reopens.

Any words of advice for adopting a dog with special needs?

Patience. We were lucky because we already knew Easter’s personality, but even then it takes effort and empathy to see things from his perspective. A blind dog reacts in ways you don’t expect. It is counter-intuitive, but we have to imagine how overwhelming new places and sounds are for him.

Just because a dog has special needs doesn’t discount the love they can give. Easter has just as much to give as any other dog. He still greets us every morning and when we come home, still gets excited for walks. We knew that there were certain things that we expect to do with a dog, that we can’t do with a blind dog, like playing catch or fetch. We were okay with that, as there are other ways for us to bond.

Q3 2025