Abang and his canine ‘bodyguards’ a hit online
SIBU: A 70-something bachelor who lives alone has found love and companionship among the stray dogs he had adopted.
The dogs followed him wherever he goes.
The man, whom townsfolk respectfully call `Abang’ (for elder brother), used to go to town daily with his pets, and his tale has gone viral online.
“I used to go for strolls in the morning and evening, when it is not too hot or raining. My pets keep me company. I am not a lonely man, although I do not have a family. I am happy because my pets are my best friends,” said Abang in an interview yesterday.
Abang is a retired odd job labourer. In his young days, he used to mow lawn and worked in sawmills. Not much information could be obtained from the interview because when strangers get close to Abang, his dogs would start barking.
A shopkeeper, who sees Abang and his dogs daily, also advised reporters not to get close to him.
“His dogs will bark to protect him. They are his bodyguards and very loyal companions.”
The shopkeeper said the dogs would not bark at passers-by, but would do so fiercely when strangers approached him.
He added that whenever Abang crossed the road, his dogs would stay closely together, and when he sat down on five-foot ways or in the park, his dogs would sit, too.
The shopkeeper noted that Abang’s dogs were well fed and clean. Abang’s story was first revealed to two reporters when a friend in Kuching posted a photograph of him and his dogs in their Whatsapp chat group.
The friend called for donations to help Abang feed his dogs and buy a new bicycle for him. The friend noted that Abang’s bicycle had no brakes or saddle.
When reporters met him yesterday, Abang had installed the saddle, but his bicycle still did not have a brake and was in a bad shape. Abang said he did not ride it. He said he pushed it around as his pets followed him.