(SG) FW: [ACRES] Christmas message from ACRES!

[Guest guest]

I'd read some of Louis journey where everything started and all the struggles as

I believe many of us have had experienced with. His fight and achievement has

been very inspiring and uplifting for me, as what he has been through is so

typical in Asia.

 

Thank you for Louis inspiring Christmas massage and hoping for the better 2009

for the animals and all of us.

 

Merry Christmas and a Compassionate New Year everyone!

 

Anita

 

" Compassion doesn't choose one species over another, any more than it chooses

one human being over another "

 

" The question is not, Can they reason?, nor Can they talk? but, Can they

suffer?  "

Jeremy Bentham

 

 

http://icarecatsanddogs.multiply.com/

 

--- On Thu, 12/25/08, jwed <john wrote:

jwed <john

(SG) FW: [ACRES] Christmas message from ACRES!

" AAPN List " <aapn >

Thursday, December 25, 2008, 2:17 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louis Ng (ACRES) [louis (AT) acres (DOT) org.sg]

 

25 December, 2008 2:38 PM

 

info. sg

 

[ACRES] Christmas message from ACRES!

 

 

 

Dear ACRES Supporters,

 

 

 

On behalf of the animals, thank you so much for the support you have

 

given us this year.

 

 

 

It has not been an easy year for ACRES and I’m sitting in the office

 

now, reflecting back on the journey we have taken and sharing my thoughts

 

(quite a bit) with all of you.

 

 

 

I remember signing the tenancy agreement for the ACRES Wildlife

 

Rescue Centre (AWRC) with only $20,000 in our bank account and having to

 

borrow money to pay for the security deposit.

 

 

 

Many if not most people said we were crazy to start a million dollar

 

project with having hardly anywhere close to a million dollars. But at the

 

end of the day, we realize that if we did build this rescue centre, nobody

 

else would and the animals would continue to suffer.

 

 

 

I remember someone and I won’t name who, telling me that if we can

 

set this place up, pigs will fly and for that reason, we now have a flying

 

pig model at our reception. I truly believe that to help the animals, not is

 

impossible.

 

 

 

I would not lie to you, however, and say that this project has not

 

brought me down to tears. The lessons that we have learnt have been painful

 

but we never gave up and never will. It is unfortunate that we have to

 

commence legal action against ANA contractor Pte Ltd and I really wish

 

things did not have to turn out this way.

 

 

 

We look forward to the AWRC being a landmark facility for the

 

protection of animals. We will work tirelessly to rectify the problems that

 

have arisen and we will not give up. This setback has not dampened our

 

passion and determination to make a difference and we are pleased to at

 

least have a partial opening of the AWRC.

 

 

 

We have come a long way in the past 7 years, we have fought hard and

 

I am proud to say that what has started off as a one man mission to make a

 

positive difference for the community, has in 7 years, grown to an

 

organisation with 6 youths working full time and dedicated towards this

 

cause and over 16,000 Singaporeans in our supporter/volunteer database.

 

 

 

I founded ACRES, together with 8 friends with a simple belief that

 

we can make a difference. We realized that they were many important animal

 

welfare issues that were not being discussed in our society and there was an

 

urgent need to change this and to tackle these problems. Not just talking

 

about making changes but taking action.

 

 

 

In the past 7 years, to name a few:

 

 

 

* Our undercover investigations into the illegal wildlife

 

trade have resulted in countless animals being rescued and offenders being

 

brought to task.

 

* We have successfully campaign to improve our wildlife laws,

 

increasing the penalty for smuggling and possession of endangered species

 

from $5,000 per species to $50,000 per animal.

 

* More than 270 TCM shops have signed on to ACRES and STOC

 

Endangered Species Friendly Labelling Scheme, pledging not to sell products

 

made from endangered species.

 

* We have worked with the Singapore Zoo and successfully urged

 

them to phase out the keeping of polar bears, circus-style shows and cheetah

 

petting sessions.

 

* Through our awareness programmes, we have reached out to

 

more than 200,000 people, empowering them with the knowledge about animal

 

protection issues. We believe that change can and will only happen when

 

people are more aware of the issues.

 

* We have rescued more than 200 wild animals in Singapore.

 

* We have launched the Humane Education for All Life or HEAL

 

Education Programme which aims to instill a sense of compassion towards all

 

life in our youngest members of society. HEAL has already reached out 10,000

 

students this year and we hope to reach out to another 10,000 next year.

 

* Together with NUS Students’ Animal Welfare Group, People for

 

Animal Welfare (SMU) and NTU Animal Lovers’ Society, we have given out

 

Singapore’s first animal welfare grants and organised Singapore’s first

 

national Animal welfare Symposium.

 

 

 

All this would not have been possible without the support from you,

 

our donors and supporters and I would like to say a big thank you to all of

 

you. Please be assured that we are truly grateful for every single donation

 

and every cent raised really does make a difference. As Mother Theresa once

 

said, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean.

 

But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”

 

 

 

Let me end this email with a poem I wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

I have lived my life as best I could

 

 

 

For the animals all of whom I love

 

 

 

I sacrificed all I could

 

 

 

Naïve as it would seem to be

 

 

 

I believe I was making a difference

 

 

 

For the animals who had placed their trust in me

 

 

 

For all the animals in distress

 

 

 

I promise you we will do my best

 

 

 

For you are the voiceless beings

 

 

 

That live in this world we all live in

 

 

 

Rest assured the day will come

 

 

 

When your rights will be as equal as mine

 

 

 

I will not rest till that day comes

 

 

 

Ever hopeful that it will be before my time here is done

 

 

 

 

 

I look forward to your continued support and on behalf of the

 

animals, thank you and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Louis Ng (MSc)

 

 

 

Executive Director

 

 

 

Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES)

 

 

 

www.acres.org. sg

 

 

 

91 Jalan Lekar

 

 

 

Singapore 698917

 

 

 

(O): +65 6892 9821

 

 

 

(F): +65 6892 9721

 

 

 

(HP): +65 9796 8592