Mon 10th March: The only guarantee is a dog's love

Toby is now at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre

I finally got AFCD to agree to let me take the spaniel out of kennels after I'd suggested a compromise which means keeping him at our Homing Centre until the paperwork is finally sorted out.  To recap, Toby (his original name) was surrendered to AFCD when the wife became pregnant, but the couple weren't the registered owners on the license.  Toby had been passed to the couple when the owner(s) moved to Japan and the official transfer of license never processed, so Toby was held back while the slow procedures were followed.  This is bad enough at any time, but everything was delayed even further by the two-day working week imposed by the government, and that included both AFCD and the Post Office staff.  Although this current situation means Toby can't go to a new home home just yet, at least he can be seen, walked and have all of his needs taken care of in terms of monthly heartworm prevention and lots of attention and cuddles.  He's only five years old and a lovely boy, and from looks, colour and build appears to be a Clumber spaniel.

Our Tai Po Homing Centre is already crowded enough

I did have a home lined up to take Toby once he became available, but like many other potential adopters this one is leaving Hong Kong, either by personal choice or because the employer is relocating the company, maybe even closing down. This is happening a lot now and it's worrying, because not all dog owners are willing to take their four-legged family members with them. I know it's expensive and may require vet visits to obtain health certificates and so on, but dogs aren't things that can just be discarded when they become inconvenient.  Dogs are yours for life, and just as children would never be left behind nor should animal companions be.  There are rare situations when it's genuinely not possible and that's a different matter, but expecting the already overcrowded animal rescue groups to take on your responsibility is unfair, and devastating for the poor dogs.

Nothing in life is guaranteed, and for sure none of us could have foreseen the events of the past year especially the current coronavirus panic, but there's one thing you can rely on without a doubt and that's a dog's enduring love and loyalty.  Please return the favour and never give up or abandon those to whom you mean the whole world, in every sense of the word.  If you can't promise to do that, don't adopt (or buy of course).