Every Dog Has His Day

Singapore 1983

I managed to get by without adding a family pet until #1 was 12 and #6 was 1. For the first time I felt over-ruled by the male majority. The two eldest and Jean-Jacques were especially vocal in their desire to have a pet, & #3 had already exhibited a strong bent for biology. Our friends Nick and Nia were animal lovers of the first order. Their home was a family menagerie which included not only cats and dogs, but also turtles, fish, and gerbils. They had discovered a litter of 6 puppies in a nearby abandoned kampong* which was doomed for destruction. This ultra humane family rescued them, & then went on a search to find them homes. 

We were at the top of their list, super vulnerable with all those boys and no dog. These pups were touted as an actual breed called Singapore Terrier. This was probably half-true. The entire litter was, as dogs go, beautiful. They were delicate of bone, longish limbs, with a doe-like head, perky ears, and a beautifully curled tail. They would mature to be medium-sized, on the petite side. First we selected a shorthair which we named Muscade, French for nutmeg, mixed shades of brown.  She was definitely the beauty. But Nick advised us to take also her black, medium long-haired sister, who in his opinion was the pick of the litter. Likewise, for her color, we named her Carbon. Nia warned that we must guard against Carbon being snatched, as she had heard that some local people still ate dog, & that black ones were considered a delicacy. (Oh, brother! Did she really believe that?) 

As proud owners of 2 little 8 week old female Singapore Terriers, all the boys were in dog heaven. I was more reserved, although I was being won over. The “girls” played everywhere. They weren’t particularly destructive, as puppies can be. The new masters never leashed them, allowing them a great deal of freedom to frolic & follow them everywhere. No one could control them from slipping through the front gate & running into the street. So it was that Muscade was fatally run over, & the boys experienced their first great sadness. We were left with Carbon who really was canine perfection: energetic, responsive, & easily trained, plus, she gave us deep bows when she was praised. 

Shortly after the boys presented us with a male puppy who had hardly opened his eyes. It had been abandoned right at the front gate. Whoever left this puppy knew exactly what she was doing. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they knew of our recent tragic loss. The pressure was on for me to agree to accept this new dog. He was dominant-black, with a bit of sandy brown, a beagle variety. The boys dubbed him "Murtabak," because of his likeness to a large Singaporean style burrito. It was a very appropriate name. “Murty” quickly grew long and fat; he chewed, & destroyed everything. Both dogs attended mass while the boys were serving as altar boys. Carbon was discrete, while Murty crisscrossed the nave causing a disturbance.** What J.J. & I detested most about this dog was that he ate all the chow and left Carbon starving.  I’ll admit it, I hated Murty as much as I loved Carbon. My patience was at an end when my neighbor showed me her chewed up flip-flop. He had actually sneaked over  to her house to do his mischief! I was embarrassed, livid, & on the warpath. 

I told the boys that Murty was not fit to live with us.  They knew that if Murty were turned over to the animal control, he would be summarily euthanized.  To save him from certain death, they frantically looked for a new home. The owner of a nearby service station agreed to take him. The boys suggested that Murty might be a guard dog for his service station at night.  Right away Murty was turned over to this nice man. A week or so later, when I was filling up the car, he said, “You know, that dog very good. You got ‘nother one?” I thought his question was a bit strange. I’m not quite sure how Murty could have charmed him, but I was glad things had worked out.


*Old style Malay villages were progressively razed and the inhabitants were moved into high rise apartments.
** The priest ejected both dogs because of Murty. It really wasn't fair to Carbon.