Sat 6th May: An early reminder about heatstroke in dogs

Melon was one of an entire kennel of bulldogs that came to us in 2010

I have to mention the weather again, this time not related to Whiskers N Paws but rather as a general reminder about the dangers of heatstroke now that we are entering the hot and humid time of year.  If you live in Hong Kong you'll know that today was stifling, with a blanket of pollution hanging over the territory and not a breath of wind.  It was the worst possible day for a bulldog to be sent from the breeder who was throwing her out, and for the poor dog to be put in the back of a van where there was no air conditioning.  During the drive from Yuen Long to Hong Kong Island the heat in the rear of the van built up and the bulldog was already dead on arrival.  This was so avoidable, and such a tragic and horrible way for any dog to die, but every year too many suffer the same fatal heatstroke.  In fact it isn't the first time that a bulldog has died from overheating in a van on the way to us, as the same happened when we took in a whole kennel-full of breeder bulldogs shortly after moving to our Tai Po Homing Centre, and not all survived the short drive in a hot van.  Flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs are most prone to overheating, but it can happen to any breed and golden retrievers/labradors also seem to suffer.  So please, take this as an early reminder of the dangers of leaving any dog in a car, even for a short time, and also to avoid walking your dogs in the middle of the day without adequate shade and water.

Chihuahua-cross Pepper was adopted today

Moving on to rather happier news, the new chihuahua cross was adopted from our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre as well as adorable shih tzu Minky, and thanks of course to both families for giving these dogs a new life.

Minky will love having her own family

Puppy Eric was taken for a trial adoption from Tai Po, and I was especially pleased about that for several reasons.  He was the odd one out of the Stanley Barracks "B" Litter, not just because his name starts with an "E" but he looks very different from the others.  He also had an accident as a baby pup and broke his leg, which has since healed as all bones do especially in puppies, but it took a while as there were complications.  As if that wasn't enough he was accidentally sent to Tai Po after a vet visit rather than being returned to Ap Lei Chau, and that's where he stayed until he found what we hope will be his forever home.   Now there are just two "B" brothers left (Bruno and Bonzo), as well as the new addition Bertram. He will be making his debut at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday, and if you're looking for a very lovely, big and friendly labrador-type puppy, he's your boy.

Bonzo is just a big baby

Bruno