A stray dog which residents in Yishun fought to save from being caught six years ago, and was then adopted by Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah, has been missing since Friday.
Ms Lee's family has been looking for the mongrel known as Xiao Hei, or Blackie, for the past four days. She has also been regularly updating her Facebook page, appealing for people to contact her should they spot the dog.
It went missing when guests visited Ms Lee's house in Serangoon Gardens. She said that when the gates at her house are opened, the dog would normally venture out and return within an hour.
"My dog has a habit of going out, maybe because she was a stray dog. We don't have the habit of confining her as we want her to be as comfortable as possible," said the MP.
"She came back (to the house on Friday) once because I saw her coming round the table, but I think she sneaked out after that. When we went to a nearby park, I saw her there and thought she would come back so I kept the gate open, but she didn't."
In a caption for a photo she uploaded on Saturday, Ms Lee told the story of how the dog came into her care.
As a stray, Xiao Hei used to wander around the void decks in Khatib, in particular Block 825 in Yishun Street 81.
For the three years that it was there, the dog became known to residents in the neighbourhood.
"We were very close to Xiao Hei. She has brought us a lot of joy and love and is such a sweet dog," said Mrs Dulcie Lim, 67, a resident of Block 825.
But the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore was alerted to the dog, and sent its officers to find it. If impounded, the dog would have to be put to sleep.
Residents then sent petitions to Ms Lee, asking her to save the dog, with some even hiding it in their homes.
Since 2007, when Ms Lee adopted Xiao Hei, the dog has been a part of her family. It also regularly attended grassroots events with her.
"Whenever they have an event, the people in the committee will message us. We see that Xiao Hei is very well taken care of and still remembers us," said Mrs Lim, who is a housewife.
Some grassroots members such as project manager Robert Ong have joined in the search for the dog. The 65-year-old will be on half-day's leave today to drive around areas Xiao Hei may have gone to.
"A lot of people are very concerned and I can see that Ms Lee is quite stressed over it. The dog has been around for a long time and she's like a daughter to all of us," said Mr Ong.
Added Ms Lee: "We have been looking for her high and low, I just hope that she is safe and not injured or tortured and that we can be reunited with her again."
