Businessman builds luxurious homes for dogs
by Chok Sim Yee. Posted on June 13, 2011, Monday
KOTA KINABALU: What can you do with RM100,000? Buy a car or pay a downpayment for an apartment?
For a dog lover who only wanted to be identified as Wong, he built two dog houses for the 14 dogs he rears with the amount of money.
The businessman, who lives at Nosoob, Penampang, equipped the dog houses with tiles, toilet and bathing areas. And not forgetting the man-made water fountain and hills that make the living quarters for the dogs as luxurious as the Beverly Hills mansions in California, United States.
All these are done in the name of love for the dogs.
“This breed (Golden Retriever) needs a good living environment. Some people who rear dogs keep their pets in the backyards which are hot and dirty, and this is not healthy for the dogs,” he said.
Wong was with his wife Kimberly Liang Mee Lin and daughter Ai Rong and their two three-month old Golden Retrievers at the 1st and 2nd East Malaysia Dog Owners Association (EMDA) All Breed Championship Dog Show here yesterday.
The puppies are among the five born by a Golden Retriever Wong bought for RM3,800 here.
The mother is said to be a breed from the United States, and was imported from Thailand to Kuala Lumpur.
Wong pointed out that the mother and grandmother Golden Retrievers both own birth certificates that verify their quality.
Currently, Wong has six Golden Retrievers, two Poodles, one Chihuahua and four Shih Tzu dogs in his house.
As for maintenance cost, Wong estimated spending more than RM600 a month on his dogs, including their food, veterinary visits, medicines and vaccination shots.
During the interivew, the Golden Retriever puppies surrounded the people nearby playfully, while occasionally stood on their hind legs and leaned against the calves of people.
According to Wong, Golden Retrievers have the potential to perform rescue jobs as well as being guides for blind people.
Meanwhile, EMDA treasurer Yong Chee Vui said the competition this year attracted 88 participants from Sabah and Sarawak, with 60 dogs turned up for the contest.
He added that a dog which received three Certificates of Aptitude for International Champion of Beauty (CACIB) from the judges in the event was considered an international champion. Two of the judges were from the Philippines.
The contest is divided into seven categories, and 18 breeds of dogs.
In terms of quality of the breeds, Yong said ithad increased this year.
He added EMDA is looking to expand participants from China, Taiwan and Korea.
Yong explained that participation from other countries such as the Philippines was hindered by the high cost of transportation, but the association is seeking ways to overcome that problem.
In addition, EMDA is currently compiling records on the number of dog breeders in East Malaysia.
The association will also hold a German Shephard speciality contest in December in conjunction with the opening of its building at Mile 2.5 Likas, near Wisma Wanita.
