Mon 21st Oct: Please THINK before getting a dog

This poor little dog was surrendered to us today

We accepted a small dog today, a very sad case of what seemed like a tragic combination of abuse and inexperienced veterinary treatment.  The pom/spitz cross had broken its leg somehow and the surgery to fix it had been so badly done that we'll have to ask Dr Tony to see if he can repair the damage.  Everything about it was a mess, including using the wrong size screws, and the truth is that not all vets are good surgeons and you need to make sure that you choose one with experience.  Even Dr Tony can't perform miracles so we don't know if the leg can be saved.  On top of that the dog has a big sore on its head, again from what we don't know, but the now ex-owners just wanted rid of their problem.

Due to come on Tuesday

Another surrender is supposed to be arriving on Tuesday morning, not an abuse case but nonetheless an ill-advised choice for a family that simply don't have the time to provide proper exercise for a breed that can run for hours.  I'm talking about a one year-old beagle, imported from the UK at great expense I'm sure, and who has proved to just be too much.

I was asked for some training advice from one of the many (seems like hundreds) of shiba inu puppy buyers that have no idea about dogs, let alone breed characteristics.  They buy a puppy based on current fashion, looks or because their friend has one, not thinking for one minute that this is a life, not a toy.  This particular shiba apparently had a behaviour problem because it barked loudly (yep, that's a shiba trait) and was "angry" with other dogs (again very typical shiba behaviour).  A few questions from me established that the poor dog was left alone all day "because I have to work" resulting in little exercise or socialisation.  Here's the thing, there's no "off" switch that you can flip when you head off to the office for the eight-plus hours you have to be away from home, and what is a dog supposed to do?  Dogs are social animals that need companionship, and not just when you happen to be around for a few hours in the evening.  If you work all day or travel a lot then volunteer or foster, don't subject an intelligent feeling animal to a life of loneliness, boredom and frustration. It's just not fair.

We'll be at WeWork this coming Saturday with small dogs and puppies, but happily not the sweet pair Angel and Beauty who have had their adoption confirmed after meeting at Concordia Pet Care last Saturday.  I'm really very happy that they will be able to stay together as they've been though a lot in their short life and are closely bonded.  As a reminder of who's still waiting for a home, here's another set of photos from Sunday's Whiskers N Paws session, thanks this time to Matt Baker  Puppy Adoption Day 20 October 2019 - Part 3

Rescued after having been abandoned, Angel and Beauty have a home together

We will have some boxes of wine left at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre if you want to buy at a very low price and support HKDR at the same time.  While you're there you can also pick up one (or more) of our new water bottles.

There's also still time to order a very special gift for yourself or friends before the end of the month. These beautiful pots are custom made to order with the deadline being 31st October.