Lessons in love from a poodle

Abandoned: Malcolm was surrendered to Hope Dog Rescue in mid-2022 when he was aged 11 (77 in human years) while Zeus, a mongrel aged 17, was found two years ago at a worksite with a gaping wound on his back. — The Straits Times/ANN

Malcolm the poodle is blind and deaf, so he suffers from separation anxieties. He has a bad back that needs monthly pain-relieving injections.

Like kuih salat, that layered nyonya kuih, Malcolm is half-half. Dense chocolate-coloured curls cover his head and back but his chin, chest, belly and legs are bald.