Mon 29th Jan: Facing the cold

Inky has a very short coat

I had forgotten how cold it can get in Hong Kong and have been digging out all stored warm clothing that hasn't seen the light of day for a long time.  While adding layers to my layers, I couldn't stop thinking about the puppies living outside, especially the very short-coated ones like Inky, and really wishing they could be in foster homes. Even my little foster turtles have a heat lamp to bask under, and they seem to be happy enough.

If anyone can foster puppies for the cold weather period, preferably up to and including Chinese New Year, please contact Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com. If you have already fostered for us just drop by the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre to pick up a puppy or two from there.  If those puppies are moved out, then the Lamma ones like Inky can take their place.

I hadn't made any plans to go anywhere other than the Ap Lei Chau office today, thinking that any new puppies at AFCD were probably better off there than on Lamma anyway, so I was there when long-term volunteer Catherine, who has been handling the search for a new site, called.  She said there was another place that was a possible, which was unexpected after we had all resigned ourselves to staying put.  It seems like it has potential so maybe there will be a new Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre after all.  We'll see, and I'm saying no more until there is anything concrete to report.

We welcomed a new staff member to the office today, another Eva, so we now have Big Eva (tall rather than broad) and Little Eva.  With Big Eva already doing the equivalent of two jobs and having so many extra events and fundraising opportunities to handle in this coming Year of the Dog, it was too much for one person, even if Eva is pretty amazing at juggling all of her duties.

Our Education & Training Manager, Cactus, also has many jobs that come under her umbrella title, so Little Eva (Loo) will also be able to help relieve Cactus of some of the more routine tasks.  Even while at home there's things for our trainer to do, including this self-made cartoon, a newly-learned skill https://youtu.be/V8YufGTavU4

I love visiting the smaller dogs (and currently many puppies) at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, and they are always happy to greet people.  I've recently been talking a lot about poodles and their sometimes-difficult personalities, but I have to say that the new ex-breeder poodles are incredibly sweet.  I was particularly taken with the charcoal grey one, Claudette, who is such a happy and playful girl, but they are all lovely.  Maybe as they aren't the popular tiny sized types these poodles have more of a balanced big-dog nature, but if you are looking for a poodley-coated dog and don't want a very small one, take a look at these five (three girls and two boys).