Best Bark About Malaysia: Sneaking into the motels and not getting caught once -and leaving a can of Pedigree on top of the TV each time just to show that the Oscar was there!

Worst bark about Malaysia: Trying to find a taxi, a hotel, or anything else that accepts Oscars!

OK, so I shouldn’t bark this, but I sneaked into Malaysia because I couldn’t get a final answer on whether they would waiver their 180-day quarantine. And you know that the mutt high club doesn’t do time for a bad cause! Besides, I had to get to the Panang SPCA the following day as the 3rd week in August marks World Day for Homeless Animals. Headed up by the ‘on the ball’ Penang SPCA administrator, Lily Leng, an adopt-athon in a local mall, and besides a few training tricks and sign ups for discounted sterilization offered by the shelter, I met Dr Gill, the honorary secretary of the Panag SPCA. What a guy – and he has three sons who are all veterinarian. How’s that for barkin’ brainy! There are only 7 SPCA’s in Malaysia, and the sad reality is that in Panang, the shelter only has a 10% adoption rate – 3 to 6 dogs are adopted a month. Yes, attitudes towards dogs are improving, but just like a woof tour, everything takes time.

After driving around for 6 hours with the coolest taxi driver Mr. Khane, we still couldn’t find a place that would take me! You’d swear they all thought I’d swallow everything in the room, and eave my deposits over the last year before checking out! Unbelievably frustrating – but eventually just snuck myself in – making a bark the following morning just for fun! Heading over to Langkawi sand wasn’t exactly a walkies in the parkies either. I wasn’t allowed on the ferry – then I was – then I wasn’t – then I was – dead or not alive! Seriously, it was a nightmare and a very long swim if I hadn’t eventually barked my way on as a dog disguised as a donut!

When I finally arrived on the Island, I was pretty experienced at sneaking in everywhere when it came to bedtime – which trust me, was a good thing! I visited the LASSIE foundation – run by Nerelle McMurtrie – what a woman! She set up the most amazing Bon Ton Resort, which solely supports her LASSIE sanctuary (160 dogs), 3 full time vets, as well as the 60 additional dogs that are based around the resort. It’s a business plan she hopes to give to other welfare groups around the globe and it sure makes sense. Create a business that can support the charity -Yup, it always comes down to money and in a tight world, it makes sense to have a project that supports the puppy! I also had the pleasure of meeting Dorothy Ang – Yoga instructor of note on the island– but even more amazing – a volunteer for the LASSIE foundation for the last two and a half years; but not just any volunteer. Dorothy is a volunteer extraordinaire – Dorothy has not missed one single day in those two and a half years- EVERY SINGLE DAY – without pay - she comes and walks, feeds, and cleans at LASSIE. Why? It’s in memory of the dog she lost 5 years ago when someone who didn’t like dogs killed it – and, well, giving back makes the heart happy. Dorothy is amazing – a rue inspirational to the rest of us!

My last few days in Malaysia were headed over head – I couldn’t help but rub in the fact that a dog was here so up went the WOOF banner – just to remind everyone that this woof was there!!

A really big bark of thanks to ROGZ for all their sensational stuff that I continue to paw out to the under dogs I meet and spot along my way – as well as to UPS for getting the gear to me in the first place! To Christelle of Animal Travel Services for trying to get my bones into Malaysia on the legal side of my sniffs – and to Chinda of Dynamic Air cargo for at least making sure that getting out was really paw and very simple.