Mon 30th Oct: 4 beagles and a papillon

4 beagles, 2 young, 2 older

We weren't expecting this surprise delivery today and only found out about it shortly before this group of ex-breeder dogs arrived.  Luckily, though in my mind not happily, at least in Hong Kong, beagles seem to be making a popularity comeback based on the enquiries I've been getting so I hope these four will move on quickly.  Our small Homing Centre isn't exactly ideal for this breed which are not large but not really small dogs either, and they do need a lot of exercise.  Two out of this group are young dogs, two older, so we will home them according to their needs.

Poor little blind papillon

The papillon is a senior at almost ten years of age and is yet another dog whose dry eye condition has been left untreated causing blindness.  I would love to stick needles in these breeders' eyes so they can experience the feeling these dogs must have to endure as their tear-less eyes dry out and scratch all the time.  Once we have started the lubricating eye drops he will feel a lot more comfortable, although the blindness is of course permanent.

Being blind isn't the end of the world for dogs as they have their other senses which compensate, and Blinky the shih tzu was a perfect example.  Coral the pug is also a very happy blind girl, and she would like to wish everyone a Happy Halloween from her new forever home!

Coral and her Halloween greeting

I love the markings on this puppy

I also stopped by at AFCD today and picked up two new puppies, both lovely and very happy boys.  They will of course be at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday, but you can meet the puppies any day by arrangement if you see one or more that you like.  All photos are on our Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR) Facebook page, and we have some very beautiful girls and boys needing homes.

A subject which I'm asked about on a regular basis is what to do if someone claims your dog has bitten or injured them in any way.  We know from bitter experience that this can be as minor as a small and friendly dog jumping up and touching someone's leg, and not aggression at all.  In many cases these "victims" will call the police and an ambulance, and follow up with claims for medical expenses or ruined clothes.   Unfortunately the system as it is supports these types of actions and if a police report is made then AFCD is automatically involved and a team of men will visit your home to check that your dog isn't foaming at the mouth or writhing on the floor with rabies.

As ridiculous as it sounds, and it really is ridiculous, although rabies has long since disappeared in Hong Kong the laws have remained the same, and even hospital doctors may advise having vaccinations against the disease.   I repeat, rabies has not been seen in Hong Kong for many decades and the chance of a pet dog having it is zero, nil, impossible.  Anyway, going back to the "what should I do?" question, as long as your dog has an up to date license (meaning it has had a rabies vaccination within the last three years) then AFCD will not insist on taking your dog away but will come back two times over the next couple of weeks to ensure that it hasn't developed rabies  (I have to roll my eyes when typing that).  If your dog hasn't got a valid license then AFCD may insist on taking it to their Animal Management Centre for observation (in case of rabies), but there are ways round this if you know what to do.

What's worrying is not only that public money is wasted on frivolous claims, ambulances, police time and a whole team of AFCD staff, but that the fraudulent car accidents which I'm sure everyone is aware of may be creeping into the dog bite claims as well.  All it takes is for someone to say your dog bit them, regardless of lack of any scratch or bite mark, and it will be treated in the same way as a genuine case.   I would advise all dog owners to ensure that their dog's license is kept up to date regardless of whether or not you believe it necessary, and to acquaint yourself with the law and your rights should any groundless claims of your dog biting be made.