Fri 24th Feb: Mango and Olive

Mango's free at last

For the past few weeks every time I've been to AFCD in Pokfulam I've asked the same question: "Any news about the schnauzer yet?" and the answer has been "Not yet".  This is a three year-old girl who was picked up as a stray but with a license, so attempts must be made to trace the registered owner.  In reality if a dog is genuinely lost then the owner is almost always found very quickly, but even if nobody responds to calls or a letter the dog is only released after a final Registered Letter is sent, and returned as undeliverable.   I was at AFCD in the early afternoon to arrange an urgent change of ownership for a particular dog and failed to ask the schnauzer question as I was in a hurry, but nobody mentioned her anyway.  It was only later on in the day that I got a message letting me know that she was now free to go, and although I was just about to head back home I raced over to Pokfulam to get her.

Every time I'd looked in on the schnauzer (who is now called Mango) she had been standing in exactly the same spot on her hard platform "bed", never moving or responding to me even when I went in to talk to her.  I thought she must be traumatised, or maybe even have a brain problem, as I'd never seen her react to anything.  It was only when we were in the van on our way back to Ap Lei Chau that she started to come alive and pay attention to her surroundings.  She was looking out of the window with interest, and seemed to be quite happy for me to hold her on my lap and stroke her while she watched the cars passing.  When we got to the Homing Centre she showed interest in the other dogs, and later on Andrea told me that Mango had wanted to climb onto her lap when she went to pet her.  So I'm really hoping that there is a sweet and happy dog inside that has just been waiting to be rescued and shown love, and as we have some volunteer groomers coming in on Saturday she will soon be looking neat and clean too.

It's always interesting how dogs behave differently under certain circumstances and in different homes, and it may have nothing to do with the way they are treated in terms of living conditions or even affection offered.  It's simply that there is either a connection or there isn't, so while a dog may be returned from one home as being incompatible or even difficult, in another home the same dog can settle well and show a completely new character.

Someone must be right for Olive

Little corgi cross Olive is like that, sweet and affectionate with some, while avoiding others (although never aggressive).  She had been coming to Whiskers N Paws for almost a year while staying in a foster home, and she was so loving and happy with me and other volunteers she had come to like, but it was still difficult to introduce her to new potential adopters due to her funny ways.  Finally she was taken home for a trial adoption and we really had high hopes that she would settle and fit in, especially as there was another young dog in the home as well as a nice garden for her to play in. Sadly it hasn't worked out and Olive will be coming back on Sunday, and while I look forward to seeing her again and I'm expecting a warm welcome from her too, it's disappointing that things didn't work out.  I don't blame the family as they are very nice, and the home is too, but obviously it just wasn't right for Olive.

HKDR volunteers at the Pet Show this weekend

Our team of volunteers was working late into the evening at the Hong Kong Pet Show, and thank you to everyone for helping out.  Please come along to visit us and pick up all of the bargains available at the many stalls there:

Hong Kong Pet Show
Feb 24-26 (Fri-Sun)
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wanchai, Hall 3, Booth S09
Free admission for pets.
http://www.petshow.com.hk/en/visitors.php









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