Strangers from all over Singapore came together to search for missing dog
It might seem like just a case of a missing dog, but people all over the island rallied to search for Prince, which went missing from Platinium Dogs Club last month.
The New Paper understands that Prince's owner, Ms Elaine Mao, 34, a bid manager, and her partner, Mr Matt Rowe, 34, a network engineer, led and coordinated the searches.
Ms Mao had offered a $2,000 reward in a Facebook post to anyone who found Prince.
One of the volunteers, Mr Roderick Low, 36, told TNP that people from all backgrounds gathered day and night to help in the search.
He said that the group initially did not know where to start looking for Prince.
So they hired an animal communicator, a psychic of sorts who would use crystals and images of Prince to try to deduce where it might be, based on what signs and landmarks Prince was said to be near or looking at in the images.
Mr Low said the group would also plot out possible routes where Prince might be found, based on their understanding of its habits and characteristics.
He said: "Since it was voluntary, there were no fixed times, but people went down whenever they could. Some were there for hours on end."
SEARCH
He said that some volunteers even combed the forested areas around Bukit Timah and the Rifle Range area, using torchlights when it got dark.
Other volunteers printed out fliers and mapped out potential areas of deployment to ensure that as much ground as possible was covered.
Some volunteers also rushed down to places after receiving tip-offs from the public who said they had seem Prince, only to end up disappointed.
Mr Low said some people who lived in the east travelled to Bukit Timah to join the search.
"I did only a little bit, and I really respect those people who spent hours combing various areas," he added.
"These people were strangers to each other but they were united in their search for a dog they had only seen in a picture, just so they could help its owners reunite with their beloved pet. Most of them are dog owners and passionate about animal welfare, so they happily sacrificed their time to help out."
Mr Low said that there are plans to host a vigil in memory of Prince on Jan 18 at Hong Lim Park, pending the approval of a permit.
"In death, Prince became not just Elaine's pet, but everyone's beloved pet. We were all emotionally involved in the hope of finding him alive."
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