Tues 31st July: Young and old, abandoned just the same

Bunty is one of our oldies, and she needs a feeding tube to "eat"

Some people might question why we would take in dogs that are very old and sick when it's extremely unlikely that they will survive long enough to find a home, even if anyone was willing to foster or adopt them.   In extreme cases I'll accept them just so they can be gently euthanised, without pain and being held in their final moments, but in other cases when I see there is still a spark and interest in living they can stay with us until it's time to say goodbye.

Stinker's skin has been left untreated for a very long time

I took a fourteen year-old beagle from AFCD today, surrendered by his owner as is usually the case.  His skin is awful and he stinks, and I wondered out loud how anyone could ignore the smell and do nothing about it.  I was told the now ex-owner had said he was rarely in Hong Kong so the dog would have to lie in pee and poo, so from that I assume he was in a cage and just left for long periods.  In fact the smell is from the skin itself, not anything the poor boy has been lying in, and his ears are horribly infected and smelly too, so the first thing we'll do is start treatment for yeast and bacterial skin infection and make sure Stinker (yes, I had to call him that) has a decent and appropriate diet for the first time in his sad life.   His blood test showed everything to be quite normal so he's not a sick dog as such, just old and neglected, and the most heartbreaking thing - happy.  This boy is just happy to be alive, happy to be able to walk around, happy to sniff and be free.  It's worth the cost and everything else to be able to offer dogs like Stinker what must seem like a real home, even if they have to share it with lots of annoying puppies (actually Stinker seemed to quite like them).

Handsome and large Oreo is just a year old

At the other end of the scale, many young adults are similarly abandoned when they get to be too big or too much of a handful.  We can assume this was the case with super-handsome Oreo, now adopted and living quite peacefully with a pair of cats, and funny-lovely older puppy Mister, who went for a trial adoption today.

Mister is 100% love for everyone

Mon 30th July: Bucket List completed

I had a dental appointment today so I wasn't able to do my usual Monday run to AFCD, but I was happy to see that there were a couple of HKDR books in the dentist's waiting room and was thinking maybe it's time we published another one.  Food for thought.

Bucket couldn't walk but he seemed to be happy enough

You may remember we took in a surrendered poodle a while ago, one we were told was being given up because of a divorce but the poor little dog actually had a host of health issues.  He was unable to walk as he had inoperable elbow dysplasia, and a bad heart murmur as well as Cushings disease.  On top of that he had a crumbling jaw, so really the only thing he had that wasn't broken was his spirit.  Despite everything he was a happy boy who loved being carried outside by the volunteers, as well as being cuddled and given lots of attention, and surprisingly he ate well with a good appetite despite his loose jaw.  Dr Tony had suggested euthanasia as being the kindest option as there was really nothing that could be done apart from giving medication for the Cushings, and to be honest I would have let Bucket go had he not been brought back to the Homing Centre from Acorn on the day he was given his check-up.  Once back with us and in the arms of the volunteers, I decided to give him some extra time and a Bucket List of love, outings and whatever he wanted, but finally he developed pneumonia and passed away on Sunday night.  I think and hope he was happy, and I know he was loved.

Poodle boy Popcorn

The two dogs who were left at a groomer's shop arrived today, a white poodle who didn't have a microchip but is estimated to be no older than three years, and a golden retriever girl who is now at Tai Po and with the name Alice.  She has a license so we will know her exact age, but she's reported to be eight years or so.  I'll call the poodle Popcorn as it's been a lucky name for past little white dogs, although I'm pretty sure this boy won't have any trouble finding a home.  If you are interested in either of these dogs, or any of our dogs or puppies, please complete the Adoption Questionnaire as a first step.  You can find the form on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt).

Alice (with Popcorn) needs a home

Sun 29th July: All Water Babies home and dry

Splash stays with her brother, while another sister is a regular playmate

There were five adoptions at today's puppy afternoon, with three being fosters coverted to forever homes and two brand new.  Water Baby Splash will be staying with her brother, adopted last Sunday, while sibling Mangrove's family didn't come today after deciding she was too lovely to give up.  The third foster-to-adopt puppy was lucky Duffy, whose sister Summer was adopted last Sunday.

These were the Water Babies after being rescued

Boris was chosen on his first outing to Whiskers N Paws

Duffy also stays in the lovely home he already knows

Boris and Marcus were both first-timers at Whiskers N Paws, having come to us as very young babies and going straight to their respective foster homes.  There were two such litters at almost the same time, so now that they're old enough to have had their first vaccination and to be at the Sunday Whiskers N Paws afternoons, I have no idea who is who as I only ever saw them the day they were taken out of AFCD.   What I do know is that they are all very happy, sweet and friendly babies, having had the benefit of being with and around humans and in real homes from a very young age.

Simon Li was our Volunteer Photographer for the afternoon, and you can see the lovely results here  Puppy Adoption Day 29 July 2018

Although a busy day at the Tai Po Homing Centre no dogs actually left to go to new homes, but it seems there was quite a lot of interest in a few and I hope to be able to share good news and photos soon.

This coming week and the end of July starts with the anticipated arrival of newcomers to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, and no doubt others I don't even know about yet. 

Sat 28th July: So many puppies and even I'm confused

Of this group I can only recognise Magpie, now adopted, as she was a singleton

It's a relief, as well as being much better for the puppies, that they are able to stay in our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre (or in foster homes of course) rather than on Lamma, as I can offer only the most basic of accommodation for youngsters.  The downside is that that whereas previously I knew all of the puppies' names, and their characters too as they got older, now I am confused.  We have so many at the moment, and I'm often having to give them names without even having seen them if they go straight to foster homes. Coming up to Sunday and the Puppy Afternoon at Whiskers N Paws I'm wondering who is going to be there and what they look like, and all I can say is thank goodness for microchips so they can all be formally identified by scanning.   I do know that one of the foster puppies is going to be adopted - hooray - but I'll save the name for tomorrow's blog with all the photos.

See you there!

Left at a grooming shop and with no microchip

As I keep saying, we have new dogs arriving all the time and next week we have a poodle and golden retriever coming on Monday, both of whom were abandoned at a groomers, a popular method of getting rid of pets.  There is also another pair of dogs expected from the same home, an English bulldog and another poodle, so if you are looking for a dog to adopt please keep checking the latest intake.  You can always read it here first or on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/.

Fri 27th July: It's not just mongrels who are abandoned

Lamma puppies 5 years ago

I can't believe another month has almost come to an end, although I'll be relieved when the holiday season is over and everyone is back and ready to adopt.  Every summer we see more puppies arriving but fewer leaving, and that backlog always scares me.  At least I know one thing for sure, there's no more space at my home on Lamma so any leftover puppies will have to go to Tai Po when they reach the age of being too old for Whiskers N Paws.  I was reminded of the puppy days on Lamma by Facebook, when a memory popped up of five years ago showing a group of puppies occupying the stairs to the roof, and I was wondering where they all are now if not still with me.

I'm waiting for the going-home photo of Oreo

Some happy news if I haven't already mentioned trial adoptions that have been confirmed, the first being Oreo, a beautiful young dog with a personality to match. He just had to show that he could get on with the resident cats before the paperwork could be signed, and everything is going well.  Almost all dogs are fine with cats, the main problem usually being from the cat side if anything.

Ex-shelter dog Tom Tom will also be a permanent resident in his now-forever home, and photos show that he is having the best time of his life.  Admittedly that wouldn't be hard given his sad story, but he has really landed on his feet, and I couldn't be happier for him.

If happiness can be photographed this is it.  Tom Tom (left) and his new brother.

As a reminder of the larger-sized purebreeds that are still waiting for the right homes, there is of course Dorset the doberman as mentioned yesterday, a super-sweet lady who loves cuddles and affection.

There has been quite a lot of interest in Buster, but as a young(ish) labrador boy he needs a home that doesn't mind the typical antics of the breed (think "Marley and Me") or his need for lots of attention and ball-throwing, not to mention exercise.  He isn't a dog that would do well being left alone for long periods, so a busy family home with lots of people around to play with him would be best.

Buster is 3 years old

Hercules the Malamute is also still waiting, although he is lucky in that he has a great foster home to stay in until the right adopter comes along.

Yep, sweet Hercules is also still available

Smartie the border collie is also in a foster home while waiting for adoption, and as always we will need to have the Adoption Questionnaire completed as a first step if you are interested in this lovely boy, or any of the dogs or puppies. You can find the questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt).

Smartie is 7 years old, still young enough to need god exercise

Thurs 26th July: The curse of entropian

It's almost time for Whiskers N Paws puppy afternoon, and once again we have a full line-up of youngsters, in fact so many I have totally lost count.  There are also a further four to be picked up from AFCD on Friday although I don't know if they will be ready for the spotlight on Sunday, I'll have to see when I get them.

Carla at Whiskers N Paws 

Last Sunday little Carla was taken for fostering, and she's doing very well in her temporary home and following the older dog around, which is what puppies do.  There's no better trainer than another dog who already knows everything, as puppies copy what they see.

Carla, and her brother Carlo, have stayed very small in size for a mixed breed, so much so that when I had them licensed at five months I registered them as shiba inu crosses. They have the same tail and build, as well as the size, so I decided to give them a breed.

Carla immediately moved in with the resident dog 

Lottie is very much a Basenji cross we think 

Another older puppy, staying full time at Whsikers N Paws until adopted, is Lottie, and she too has striking similarities to a breed, this time a Basenji.  It's not just her size and the way she stands, but her rather aloof personality too, so typical of a Basenji.  She's becoming much more friendly and confident as each week passes though, and spending time with the office cat at Whiskers N Paws, just as Carla did, means that we know both Carla and Lottie are fine with them.

The chow chow Chowder went to Acorn today for a check-up, and while I was fully expecting him to have heartworm he was clear, maybe because his thick coat prevented mosquitoes from biting.  However he does have the typical chow chow entropian, both upper and lower eyelids, so he will need surgery to save his eyes from being rubbed by the inturned lashes, not to mention the pain.
Many fat-faced dogs have entropian, breeds like chow chows, sharpeis and bulldogs.  Surgery is the only remedy, and once again it seems ludicrous that dogs are bred with such problems.

Many fat-faced dogs have entropian

Weds 25th July: Give dogs credit where due

Dors
et has been waiting a long time now

I was thinking again about our sweet doberman girl Dorset and the fact that she was inexplicably still waiting for a home, and other dogs who have been overlooked while many have come and gone.   Tai Po Manager May explained to me that as Dorset was a breeder dog she isn't confident going for walks and probably isn't toilet trained either, but for everyone who has been asking about the Macau greyhounds and put off by the time and cost involved, Dorset would make a perfect replacement as a couch potato.  I imagine there's nothing she would enjoy more than snuggling on the sofa with a bowl of snacks and watching television with her family.

I think that Sparky would bond with one owner

I have also been surprised that little boy Sparky is still waiting, as the small-sized mixed breeds are usually quite popular.  Sparky isn't a cuddler like Dorset, at least not at the Homing Centre, and he isn't interested in playing with other dogs much, but he's not aggressive and he's full of life and loves his walks.  He would suit a home that is looking for a more independent character unlike the needy poodles, and I do believe that in a home environment he would become a great little dog.

Everyone knows my Murphy and his story, and that he was a little terror while staying at our Pokfulam Kennels, but he is an amazing character at home.  You just have to give some dogs the benefit of the doubt and understand that the reason they might seem to be difficult is that they have a hard time coping with living with a lot of other dogs, or without a human to bond with.

Griffin was another puppy labelled as being impossible and too difficult, but he's my funniest and sweetest Lamma dog

The most important thing to remember with any dog is that they are intelligent animals with emotions, individual traits and characters.  Living with so many dogs, as I do, I can see the huge variation in behaviour despite the fact that they have all grown up with me since being (un-homed) puppies and that they have all had the same food, environment and opportunities.  Dogs aren't robots that can be programmed, they are just as varied as humans in looks and character, and the mistake so many dog owners make is that they don't make allowances for this and expect their dogs to simply obey commands without thinking.  It drives me crazy to see people shouting "Sit!" at their dogs, or "No!" in a loud voice, as if the dog was deaf or stupid.  Just take a look at the many thousands of Facebook or YouTube videos of dogs showing just how amazingly smart they are.  It makes you realise how incredibly tolerant dogs are of our ignorant human behaviour.

Tues 24th July: Saving Chowder

This tiny space was Chowder's full time home until he was rescued

We took in a four year-old chow chow today, not from AFCD but one that had been rescued from a horrible life and situation.  The dog, now called Chowder, had been living with his owner in Public Housing, where there is a strict No Pets rule.  Nevertheless a lot of people living in these government estates do keep dogs just hoping they will get away with it, which many probably do.   In the case of the chow chow though, the owner received the notice to get rid of the dog or leave, so she handed the dog over to an old woman in the New Territories and paid her to look after him.  From the photo you can see how Chowder was forced to live under the care of that woman, in a tiny cage from which he was never let out, not even to pee or poo.  To clean the cage the woman just sprayed with a hose, and if Chowder ever barked she banged on the cage with a metal bowl.

Someone saw the dog, out in the open in that terrible cage and with no shelter, and after hearing the story managed to persuade the owner to surrender the chow chow to HKDR.  Chowder is currently staying in our office, with air conditioning of course, and space to walk around for the first time in months.  Chow chows can be difficult dogs but Chowder is a sweet boy, and now all he needs is a real and forever home.  If you are interested in adopting, please complete the Adoption Questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.cm (under Adopt).

Chowder is enjoying the air con and space now

Adobe is now Enzo

Adobe the doberman has had his adoption confirmed and is now Enzo, while for some sad and strange reason our very sweet and beautiful doberman girl Dorset is still waiting for a home.  This lovely dog has the kindest nature and we would all love to see her chosen, and it will happen I'm sure.

Dorset is still waiting at Tai Po

Mon 23rd July: Hey Mister!

Mister loves everyone

I went to AFCD to pick up a dog that was surrendered last week, and it turned out that he is only eight months old although already quite a large size.  Again I suspect he was adopted from an organisation, although I can't be sure, as he was licensed at three months, which is very young for most dogs, and had already been desexed.  Not surprisingly he was overjoyed to be out of his kennel and was jumping around wanting to say hello to everyone.  I called him Mister and he is now at Tai Po, and perhaps the happiest and friendliest dog ever, well, puppy really.   This gorgeous boy is going to need a home where he'll get lots of exercise as well as cuddles, as he would only sit quietly in the van after he had squeezed himself through from the back seat and was pressed up next to me.

I also took three turtles from AFCD who had apparently been found wandering the in corridor of a Public Housing estate.  Two of them are quite large, but luckily I had someone who had said she would take any turtles needing homes so hopefully they will be moved by tomorrow.  The largest one, a male, appears to be very tame and I would quite like to keep a turtle, but the dogs would almost certainly harm them so I can't.

Sun 22 July: It's good news day

The American cocker puppy was being picked up today

The first two dogs to leave the Homing Centres were Oreo from Tai Po for a trial, and the American cocker spaniel puppy from Ap Lei Chau, although there are no photos of either leaving to share, at least for now.  It's good enough that both of these young dogs got their second chance, and hopefully will live happily every after with their respective new families.

Oreo at Tai Po

Ocean will need double the cuddles as she's on her own

It was a different matter at Whiskers N Paws as we had not one, but two volunteer photographers to record the event, and what an afternoon it was!  Yvonne Chan's set can be seen here:  Puppy Adoption Day 22 July 2018 - Part 1 . To be honest I wasn't expecting the crowds but I'm delighted they came, and we saw several adoptions as well as a  TwoPresents birthday donation. Dennis Cheng was the second photographer  Puppy Adoption Day 22 July 2018 - Part 2 and thank you to both for donating your time as well as helping to showcase the puppies and record their adoptions for their families to treasure.

Thank you Joseph for sharing your birthday with TwoPresents

Paddle and Splash

A double adoption of Summer and Water

All five of the Water Babies, the little pups rescued from the sea, went to new homes, meaning other puppies were able to take their places in the now-vacant foster situations.  That meant older (but small-sized) Carla, who had been staying at Whiskers N Paws full time, got her chance to learn what a family home is and another puppy, little Impi, took her place.  By the end of the afternoon there were only two puppies who needed to return to our own Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, and there's nothing better than coming home with empty crates.

The only two returning to the Homing Centre

Carla leaving for foster

Unfortunately that doesn't mean we don't still have a lot of puppies at the Homing Centre waiting to be adopted, but for one reason or another not all were sent to Whiskers N Paws (one reason being there are just too many!)

Sat 21st July: Happy adoptions and the end of the Macau Canidrome

This was really and in-and-out adoption!

I know everyone likes reading the happy adoption news more than anything else, so I'll start with the little (fat) mini beagle who was surrendered in the morning and walked straight out of the Homing Centre again with her new family.  She's already settling well in her new home and I look forward to seeing updated photos of a slimmer and more active dog.  Beagles are notorious for being incredibly greedy and everything counts as food.  You have to be very careful about putting things away, including rubbish bins, and with the beagle's exceptional sense of smell they can sniff out a sausage from a mile away.

This was Tom Tom's previous life - a cage

Also very happy news from Tai Po as another dog from the closed-down shelter left to start a new life in a fantastic home, and while we have been asked not to share photos I can say that Tom Tom must think he's died and gone to heaven.

The sun is out and the puppies will be able to run around outside on the terrace at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday, so if nothing else they will have fun.  Of course I really hope that there will be more than just fun to write about tomorrow, and that I'll be sharing some adoption photos in my blog.

The Macau Canidrome, the dog racing track, closed today, bringing an end to the greyhounds' miserable life of win or die, and after all sorts of arguments and accusations, IACM, the Macau equivalent of Hong Kong's AFCD, have been left with a huge number of now-homeless dogs, with many sick or injured.  While adoption events have been taking place every weekend and some dogs have already been signed over, that doesn't mean that they are free to leave immediately as there are lengthy procedures that need to be gone through first, including desexing, rabies vaccinations and antibody titre tests, quarantine (hard to find in a small place like Macau) - and that's just to start.  Anima Macau, the large rescue group there, have been posting daily updates on www.facebook.com/animamacau if you are interested in following the story, while some of the greyhounds have already started the process of being brought to Hong Kong.   AFCD have published the requirements for entry on their website https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/quarantine/qua_ie/qua_ie_ipab/qua_ie_ipab_idc/AFCD_Import_of_Retired_Racing_Greyhound.html

Melody is currently undergoing the required quarantine in Macau

One of the dogs who was adopted earlier this month and has already been desexed and titre tested is available for adoption if anyone is genuinely interested.  Vetting for adoption will be more stringent than usual as these dogs have never been pets and have been trained to chase a lure as fast as they can.  They will almost certainly need a period of adjustment to live in a normal home, although by nature the breed are very sweet.

If you are interested in adopting six year-old Melody please first complete the adoption questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt) and if suitable I can send all the details about what needs to be done.   There will also be a financial commitment which is well over and above the standard adoption fee.  Due to the lengthy quarantine period, Melody won't actually be a free Hong Kong dog until October, just to give you and idea of the timing. However adopters will need to register their details immediately to begin the AFCD end of the laborious (and in my mind totally unnecessary) process.

Fri 20th July: Read all the news here first

Muffin newly arraived from AFCD

It's a funny thing and it happens time and time again, that we have a dog for a while which suddenly many people want to adopt.  It's true little Yorkie Muffin hasn't been with us for too long as Yorkies always find homes quite quickly,  and in fact it's only been a week, but today in addition to three separate homes offered we had an on-site adopter who had previously submitted the adoption questionnaire, and that was that.  As I told the disappointed would-be adopters, we do get new dogs in all the time and we'll let them know when the next group arrives that includes a Yorkie or two.  However if you want the latest news on all new arrivals, you'll read it here on my blog first.

Just as the American cocker spaniel turned up unexpectedly, on Saturday we're expecting a mini beagle, not a puppy but still a young adult being given up due to the child's serious allergy problems. As always, if you are interested in adopting any dogs or puppies, please complete the Adoption Questionnaire (on our website) before asking for details and arranging to meet, as that saves time for both sides.

3 year-old Buster 

The labrador Buster came to us from AFCD in the same group as Yorkie Muffin, and again there were a few serious adoption enquiries about him today, just after we had arranged an interview with the first potential adopter to send in the questionnaire.  Hopefully Buster will have left Tai Po by the time many of you read this blog, but there are so many beautiful dogs still waiting.

Junket settling in at the Ap Lei Chau office

I took in another dog from AFCD Pokfulam today, a one year-old female who had been surrendered by her owner.  I always ask the reason but take any excuse with a pinch of salt as I know many people lie to cover up their guilt, but I strongly suspect this girl was previously adopted from a rescue organisation as she had already been desexed.  The reason I think that is because the sort of people who abandon their dogs at AFCD Centres aren't usually the type who are responsible and caring enough to spay or neuter their dogs unless it's handed to them on a plate, that is, it's free or already done.   I was going to send the dog to Tai Po but as she's smallish at only 14 kilos, and was so scared, I decided to send her to Ap Lei Chau to join the group of office dogs.

Of course these office dogs are all waiting for homes, like lucky Lara who was recently adopted, but in the meantime we use them to help out with the filing and other duties.  Seriously they're more like working dogs in the sense of keeping the office staff happy, which they do, like emotional support dogs.  The new dogs, like today's who is now called Junket, have a fenced-off area initially so they don't get bullied, but it doesn't take long for them to join the gang and the daily games.

Nancy needed surgery on both knees but can now run and play totally normally

Sweet Nancy is the only office dog who will happily accept all newcomers without question, and now that she has had her knees repaired she is fully fit and ready for her own new home.  I can't speak highly enough about this lovely girl, adopted from HKDR as a puppy and returned at just under a year old, as she has the kindest nature and whoever adopts her can be guaranteed lots of love.

Other ways in which we send our dogs out to work, in the nicest way, is as models.  In this case it was for Bowerbird, a lovely furniture store in Horizon Plaza, and here are some of the results shown in HK01:
https://www.hk01.com/寵物/212963/領養不棄養-被遺棄唐狗到傢俬店重拾-家的感覺?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=fbpost_link&utm_campaign=anistoryhk

Thurs 19th July: Please don't buy lives

Stories such as this one about an American cocker spaniel puppy are both sad and frustrating, as well as being far too common.  This dog was lucky in that she came straight to us rather than being passed from home to home before ending up a psychological and emotional basket case as so many do, especially poodles as they are so intelligent and sensitive.

This puppy was imported from Japan and sold for $30,000

What happened in this case is that a couple came to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre a few weeks ago and asked if we would accept an American cocker spaniel puppy, then six months old.  The dog had been bought by their son who had then left it with his parents, who lived in "No Pets" Public Housing.  They put the puppy in a cage where it barked and barked so they needed to get rid of it, but couldn't do so without their son's permission as the registered owner.

Of course we said yes to accepting the dog, but then time passed so we assumed the puppy had been given away to someone else or was staying with them, locked up in a cage like so many others.  However today the parents turned up with the puppy, now eight months old, and a very sweet girl.  They handed over the license which had been signed by the son, so I immediately took it to AFCD to have the ownership transferred to my name, not wanting to risk any change of heart. The son, still under our HKDR minimum adoption requirement age of twenty one, had paid thirty thousand dollars for the puppy, imported from Japan, and to me it's beyond comprehension.

If you are interested in adopting this gorgeous puppy please complete the Adoption Questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt).  I'm expecting to receive a lot of enquiries and will obviously choose the home we consider to be the best for this girl, but that doesn't mean there might not be other dogs perfect for the home.  There's only one American cocker available but many others just as deserving.

There are lots of things about this case that highlights the problem with pets shops, the first being that they don't care if the person buying a puppy is six or sixty, or if they live in a home where pets aren't allowed.  They don't care if the puppy will spend its whole life in a cage and is never walked, and they don't care if the buyer licenses and desexes their purchase, or goes on to use it for breeding.  Pet shops care about one thing and that's money.  It's a business that happens to sell lives rather than clothes or furniture, and although the Cap139b Animal Trader Licensing laws were introduced to try to stop the rogue breeders and sellers, so far it doesn't seem to have made much of a difference.  The ex-breeder dogs that are surrendered, even to AFCD, are still coming in without microchips or licenses, and while online sales of puppies are being monitored the fines, if any, are so derisory they make the work of AFCD and the Courts a waste of public time and money.  A $4000 fine means nothing when puppies are being sold for at least double that, if not a lot more.  You can read about this particular case on the AFCD website http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/publications/publications_press/pr2233.html

Merlin was another impulse pet shop purchase who had already been passed on to a friend before coming to us

At least AFCD are aware that there are ongoing problems with the Animal Trader Licensing requirements, and loopholes that very quickly became apparent.   There will be a meeting with the Animal NGOs next month to discuss these issues, which will hopefully result in a tightening of the laws in the not too distant future.  In the meantime we can only keep pushing the message about adoption, and using the beautiful dogs and puppies that we have homed as perfect examples of why there is never a need to buy.

Weds 18th July: A heartwarming visit

I love this photo of Airport with one of today's group visitors

Sometimes it's not just about adoptions, although they will always be our priority for obvious reasons.  Today we had a heart-warming visit from the Salvation Army Wah Fu Centre for Senior Citizens , and I think this photo is up there with some of my all-time favourites.  This is poodle Airport, who spent a long time at AFCD kennels after having been found running around (you guessed it) the airport, and who is now waiting for her forever family to choose her.  If you are interested in arranging any sort of group visit, please contact eva.loo@hongkongdogrescue.com for details.

The Salvation Army Wah Fu Centre Senior Citizens 

The Water Babies at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre have been given the names Paddle, Splash, Ocean, Mangrove and Water, and it was lucky Ocean who was the first to be taken home for fostering with a view to adoption, along with a teeny tiny puppy who was one of the most recent group from AFCD Sheung Shui.  I'm not sure if Midge is just the runt (smallest one) of the litter, or whether she's a singleton, but she's being well cared for in a temporary home now.

Magpie is a very easygoing puppy girl

Black-and-white Magpie was also chosen for a trial adoption today, and she just has to get along with the cats.  She's a very calm and well-behaved puppy so I'm sure everything will be fine from her side as it's almost always the cats who are the problem. Being the picky animals they are they sometimes refuse to accept intruders in their home but as always, with time and good management as well as help from our own HKDR trainer Cactus, it's rare that things don't work out eventually.

Ocean (centre) was taken for fostering today

Not surprisingly, the recently-surrendered one year-old pom was adopted today too, and he's going to be a very much loved "son".

Merlin wasn't with us for more than a few days