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Many years ago, Darren Teh, frontman of popular Malaysian pop-punk band An Honest Mistake, was not fond of dogs. So when he first saw Cleo, a stray who had been hanging outside his family home in Kajang for some time, he didn’t think very much of her.
“She was dirty and had patchy fur – long in some places, greasy and matted in others. I didn’t really like dogs back then, but my girlfriend Avril Chan did. She thought Cleo was sweet and would leave out food and water for her,” Teh told FMT Lifestyle.
After a lot of persuasion (and begging) from Chan, Teh decided to give the little dog a chance. He agreed to let the dog stay on the enclosed porch of his house.
Teh recalls how Cleo kept barking and barking that night. Figuring that perhaps she didn’t like being locked in, Teh and Chan let her out before returning to sleep. The following morning, they made a grim discovery: they had been robbed!
“We think Cleo had seen someone lurking outside the house and was trying to alert us. It was then I was 100% convinced that she was going to be with us forever. She had won me over, and she stayed indoors with us from then on,” Teh said warmly.
The little dog proved impossible not to love, thanks to her loyal and loving personality. She learnt tricks quickly and was eager to please.
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“She impressed everyone when she would beg on command. At Chinese New Year parties, all you had to do was say ‘Gong Xi Gong Xi’ to her, and she would beg – which looked like the CNY-greeting gesture,” Teh said with a laugh.
The oddest thing about Cleo, which Teh does not understand to this day, was how cats seemed to flock to her. The neighbourhood felines were comfortable enough to hang out with her, even eating her food and sleeping in her bed.
Thanks to this, Teh and Chan had to deal with four to five litters of kittens born on their porch.
Saying goodbye
Sadly, in February last year, Cleo passed away at age 16. Her vet had discovered tumours, which had not been present in her previous geriatric test about a year prior.
Teh recalled how one day, she had just seemed like her normal self, and the next, she was struggling to breathe. He and Chan tried blending her food to syringe-feed her, but Cleo just coughed and collapsed onto Chan’s lap, where she passed away peacefully.
“She gave us 13-plus of the best years of our lives. We were so blessed to have spent the two years of lockdown at home, every day, with her in her golden years,” Teh reflected.
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A wake was held thereafter, with many who had known Cleo in attendance.
“I didn’t know how to process her leaving us,” Teh admitted. “The house felt so empty. I didn’t know how to say goodbye, so I did the one thing I knew best, which was to honour her in a song.”
The first time he played “There Won’t Be Another You (Cleo’s Song)” live, he broke down and cried on stage. He still plays the song – which you can listen to on YouTube below – every chance he gets.
Today, Chan carries Cleo’s old collar on her backpack, and her photo and urn have pride of place on a table in Teh’s house. The couple have adopted a new dog, also a rescue – although Teh has accidentally called her “Cleo” many times.
He also is a huge dog lover now: he and Chan occasionally embark on trips to rescue and foster dogs and cats.
“I think caring for Cleo helped me mature emotionally and strengthened my relationship. I’ve never seen such unconditional love and loyalty. I am more sensitive and more compassionate now towards animals,” Teh said in conclusion.
“Cleo changed me 100%. Loving her has been our greatest honour, and I am so glad she chose us.”
This article was written by Terence Toh @ FMT Lifestyle. Read more pet stories here.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to lifestyle@freemalaysiatoday.com. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.
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