Fri 22nd Sept: Ten new Ap Lei Chau residents

It always happens like this, we get all the new dogs in at once and today was no exception.  The first group were picked up from AFCD in Sheung Shui and taken to Acorn for the usual checks and vaccinations before going to Ap Lei Chau.  The four poodles are definitely ex-breeder dogs and have various health problems between them, one having heartworm and another luxating patellas (kneecaps) which need surgery.  At least two of them seemed fairly OK if in urgent need of a dental and presumable multiple extractions.  There was an older puppy, Portman, who was lucky enough to be taken straight to a foster home, and three other pups, all of which will be at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday.

Lucky Portman went straight to a foster home

All the poodles are 6 years old

Volunteer Harryn gave the poodles a much-needed bath before taking their photos and adding names that I'd prepared, and all of them are now available for adoption or fostering.  Desexing and other surgery/dental work will be covered by HKDR as needed.

We were expecting the second group of dogs coming directly from a breeder, which I was hoping to be able to take straight to Acorn after the first batch were dropped off at the Homing Centre, but in the end they didn't arrive until after I had already left.  I needed to move the puppies to Lamma anyway to make space for the new arrivals, but it was around five in the afternoon when they turned up, squashed into rusty old cages as is usually the case.  Some had licenses which had already long expired, others nothing, so we will have to get them all to AFCD for updates and registration.

Two poor worn out shiba inu girls

It infuriates me that these disgusting breeders are still getting away with keeping unlicensed dogs, and that nothing is done about safeguarding the health and welfare of these animals.   The fact that so many have preventable heartworm is unacceptable, not to mention the hernias and mammary tumours that are so common.  I don't know if the new Cap 139B Animal Trader Licensing rules include heartworm prevention, but nothing is worth the paper it's written on if not enforced.  Any breeder flouting the laws should be closed down without question and the license revoked.

All in all the new dogs that will be staying at Ap Lei Chau are six poodles (four via AFCD), two shiba inu (both nine years old), a Yorkie (age unknown) and a shih tzu, age also not known yet.

I also got the news that a breeder had died and there are sixty four dogs left behind.  I can't help but feel happy for these dogs that they may have an early and lucky escape from their life of hell.