Sat 6th Nov: Things that make me go grrrrrr

 I'm keeping it short today as I ran out of time doing other things, and because there are no adoptions to share.  That's really surprising given the number of visitors we had, but perhaps there's too many lovely dogs to choose from so everyone has to go home and think before making that important decision.

The day this puppy was adopted, just 5 months ago

Not every application to adopt is approved, and there are many different reason why.  One of things that is a concern is when a dog or puppy is being adopted for the children, especially if they are apparently going to be the caretakers.  Young children can't be reponsible for the feeding, walking and training of a dog, and while teenagers can handle many of the duties the chances are that they will have left home within a few years.  Exactly such a case means a puppy, adopted as a youngster only in June, is being returned because the eldest daughter is leaving for college abroad and the rest of the family are "too busy with work and school" to take of the dog.  This really makes me angry, the puppy having been adopted as temporary amusement for the daughter before she headed off to start her studies, and I need to remind all potential adopters that this isn't fair on either the puppy or HRDR. 

Rooftop dog 1

We also took in two surrendered dogs at Tai Po today, a lucky day for them as they had been kept on a rooftop.  It's unlikely that these dogs will ever be chosen for adoption, not because there's anything wrong with them but simply because they're standard mixed breeds with no remarkable physical attributes.  However they will enjoy a much better life with us at the Homing Centre than they previously had in their "home", and we can guarantee a home for life rather than while they're convenient to have around. 

Rooftop dog 2

Having a dog means having another family member to take care of, in good times and in bad.  It's a lifetime commitment, and that can mean fifteen years or even longer.  A puppy is not a plaything, and a dog is not an ornament that comes with an on-off switch for those days when you can't be bothered, or the long hours that you have to go to work.  Please THINK before you apply to adopt.