Diagnosed at age 21 with retinal detachment, Lim is completely blind in his left eye, with vision down to 10% in his right. This is despite having undergone several surgeries to prevent him from losing his sight altogether.
“To make matters worse, I was diagnosed with glaucoma,” he told FMT. “This has affected my ability to care for my dogs as I am sensitive to light and feel drowsy easily.”
He is currently on medication, which he hopes will grant him a year or so before he goes blind entirely.
Lim’s love for dogs began at a young age when he had pets of his own. In 2013, he began feeding strays around his area in Batu Kawa, Kuching.
“I felt pity for them because many of them were abandoned,” he recalled. “People used to try to chase them away – even with a parang! – so I decided to start cooking rice and chicken for the dogs.”
He continued to feed the animals even when he lost his job over his vision loss. “I had to sell my car, and there was a time when I only had RM20 in my wallet, but I still did my best to continue feeding them.”
He even witnessed dogs being culled during the rabies outbreak in Sarawak in 2017, which made him realise he needed to find a safe space for the animals.
That year, Lim moved into a friend’s vacant house, where he has been able to stay rent-free with the strays for the past five years.
Lim has rescued many dogs over the years, and at one point had 35 dogs in his care. “It was exhausting as I even had to give some of them medication for various health issues,” he said.
In a month, he spends an average of RM1,150 on the animals, relying on welfare assistance and food donations to do so.
Sadly, Lim’s tenancy agreement ends this year, and he has been unable to find a new place for him and his dogs.
Furthermore, his doctor has advised him to find new homes for the animals as he will not be able to care for them once he loses his vision.
Lim presently has 18 dogs and hopes to find them forever homes so they do not end up back on the streets.
“I wish I was able to continue to care for them but, due to my condition, my movement is slow. Also, I sometimes accidentally kick the dogs as I cannot see them on the ground in front of me,” he shared.
As such, he hopes kindhearted Malaysians will be able to help, so that these helpless creatures can receive the love and care they deserve.
If you are in or near the vicinity of Batu Kawa in Kuching and are able to adopt Lim’s dogs, reach out to him on Facebook, where he can be contacted via Messenger.
To contribute towards Lim’s pet costs, send a WhatsApp message to FMT’s Helpline at 019-3899839. Please do not call.