Founded by Joey Wong of Johor, Supedo Pet Ambulance Service aims to act as a first respondent in the case of a medical emergency.

The ambulance is outfitted with all the necessary medical equipment a critically ill or injured animal may need so they can receive on-the-spot treatment from a certified first aid responder during their transfer to the nearest veterinary clinic or hospital.

Speaking to FMT, Wong says that the idea of a pet ambulance came about after her own four-year-old Pomeranian died from sudden seizures at 4am one day.

As there were no 24-hour veterinary clinics around, she rushed her dog to a veterinarian she knew personally, hoping he’d be awake and could help.

“Despite his efforts to resuscitate my dog, he did not make it and passed away due to cardiac arrest,” Wong says, still affected by the incident as she says her dog was completely fine earlier that day.

It was this bad experience that prompted Wong to pursue a canine first responder course. “It was difficult for me but I do have other dogs and wanted to be equipped if anything similar happened to them.”

Armed with this new knowledge, Wong, who has a background in IT, began helping stray dogs and cats in need of medical attention. She also attended to the needs of her friends’ pets.

Then in March last year, a veterinarian encouraged her to use her first aid certification to run a pet ambulance service.

So, she purchased an SUV and converted it into a medically-equipped ambulance for pets.

As word got out about her pet ambulance, she found herself inundated with calls for her service. In order to cope with the demand, Wong quit her job in Singapore so she could devote herself full-time to her new found passion.

It was not an easy decision, she says, but adds, “I may not be earning much but I am truly happy that I am able to help and save so many dogs and cats.”

And Wong did not stop there. She pursued other certifications, one of which was canine hydrotherapy for dogs that require post-surgery care and rehabilitation.

“I have rented a shoplot and hope that once things get better and Covid-19 cases reduce I will be able to open the very first canine rehabilitation centre in Johor.”

Another branch of Supedo’s business is pet cremation and memorial services.

For this, Wong outfitted a hearse with grass, flowers and stuffed toys so that much-loved pets can have a beautiful journey to the crematorium.

“I want to ensure the last journey of my customers’ pets is respectable and they will be able to leave with integrity.”

A true animal lover, Wong says the cremation services she offers are also for strays. She urges members of the public who spot a dead cat or dog to call Supedo, so that her personnel can pick up the animal for cremation.

“I only charge charity prices to give the strays a proper send off and usually appeal to my friends or the public to donate a small fee to help cremate these strays,” she adds.

Understanding the bond that some people have with their pets and after suffering the pain of losing her own dog, Wong decided to add pet memorial videos to her service as well.

Using existing video footage and photographs of a pet, she puts together a montage of the pet’s life as a keepsake.

While Supedo’s ambulance services are available only in Johor at the moment, they do provide interstate pet taxi services for those wishing to reunite with their pets.

To find out more about Supedo Pet Ambulance Service, visit their Website and Facebook page.