Tues 6th June: Calling for more weekday dog walking volunteers

I don't need to tell you that it's incredibly hot right now, and the Hong Kong Observatory has been consistently wrong in its forecasts of rain.   So as I do every year can I remind all dog owners about the dangers of heatstroke and the need to keep your dogs out of the sun during the hottest times of the day.  It goes without saying that dogs must not be left in cars, even for a short time.  One of my own dogs refuses to go out when the weather's like this, and I can't blame Safari as he had a close brush with overheating one year and has never forgotten it (and nor have I).

Today was one of those days when nothing seemed to go as planned and as a result I didn't go anywhere of note.  The van went for a much needed professional cleaning which took much longer than anticipated, and then can you believe it on its way back to Tai Po with a dog passenger just picked up from Acorn, the dog pooped (inside the van) just before arriving at the Homing Centre.

Getting down on the ground with Allan Dixon

Instagrammer Allan Dixon was back at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, this time with the South China Morning Post and talking about his work and how to take selfies with animals. Clearly not being bothered about rolling on the ground is one of the first lessons, and I'm not sure how well that will go down with most Hong Kongers!

New Sheltie Moira left the Homing Centre today so she wasn't around to be included in any of the selfie shots or videos, but I do want to mention that little poodle Baxter has settled down very well and he now loves cuddles, even asking me to pick him up and carry him while I was there. Clearly all memories of being at AFCD have been erased and now he just wants a new home.

Baxter is a sweet and cuddly boy now

We have so many dogs at our Tai Po Homing Centre now and not enough weekday dog walkers, so if you are able and willing to join our team of volunteers we really need you.  You can find all details of how to apply on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com, but please note that you do have to be over 18 years of age.

Apart from the health benefits of dog walking, one of the great things about becoming an HKDR volunteer is the social aspect and meeting lots of like-minded people.  Many of our volunteers have been with us for a very long time have become close friends with other dog walkers, and for newcomers to Hong Kong it's a great way to get to know people and to be part of our big HKDR family.  Of course the dogs love their outings too, and the cuddles which are also an important aspect of volunteering.