Tues 29th Aug: Tick fever troubles

Tickle at Whiskers N Paws the other Sunday

Doglets Tickle and Squeaker made that once-in-a-lifetime trip from Lamma to Acorn for desexing today, although for Tickle it turned out to be a wasted journey because her red cell count had dropped again, making surgery unsafe.  She was given her name because she was covered in ticks when I took her from AFCD as a baby pup, and of course that resulted in tick fever.   I got Squeaker at the same time and she also had tick fever of the drug-resistant variety, and it took many months and every kind of medication to get both of them back to normal. So I was rather expecting that at least one of the two girls might have relapsed, though guessing it would be Squeaker as she is very slim, bordering on skinny, but she was OK.  It's been a very frustrating journey with the two of them and not being able to take them to the Sunday puppy afternoons when they were young, and just when I'd started to get them socialised it's back to treatments again for Tickle.

Squeaker is timid but getting much better now

Nana, who was adopted from us last year as a baby puppy, was abandoned today as her adopter is leaving Hong Kong and wants to travel, his excuse for not taking her along.  There is nothing worse than seeing a young dog who has only ever known her home and family suddenly being thrust into a strange situation with no understanding of why.  I gave the new name of Nancy, wanting to forget all of her betrayed past, and hope that there will be other offers of a real forever home very soon.

Nana is now Nancy

Now-Nancy at least has a friend in Lara, whose own story was even worse, and they have already started playing.  Is it too much to hope that they can be adopted together as sisters?  Sometimes dreams do come true.

I was very happy to read on the AFCD website about a prosecution for the illegal selling of a puppy, and hope that it will be the first of many until breeders and sellers get the message.

It is illegal to sell any dog or puppy without a license under Cap 139B Animal Trader Laws, and that includes single animals that are claimed to be pets. AFCD have set up a department dedicated to tracing all illegal breeders and sellers, and this case is reported on their website. Do not buy from anyone who does not have an ATL (Animal Trader License), the number of which must be displayed on all advertisements or on demand.

In fact, don't buy at all, adopt.

https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/publications/publications_press/pr2167.html