Weds 27th April: A mixed bag

Baxter is a lovely and happy young boy

 I forgot to include Baxter in my list of new and lovely Tai Po dogs yesterday, so here he is, again just a year old and a very sweet and happy boy.  Like many others he living a family life until he was brought to us, so he's been a house dog since he was a puppy and is fully ready to go to a new home. 

Being so tiny is not a natural state

Most of the adoption enquiries are for smaller dogs, and quite a few potential adopters have asked about tiny poodle boy Gyro.  However he's a loving little guy he's probably best as an only dog unless the other dog is larger, because Gyro likes to tease.  His tiny size has also resulted in some neck problems, meaning on-off pain relief and supportive acupuncture is needed.  Despite this, I'm surprised Gyro is still waiting for a home.

Hunter 

We also now urgently need a new home for mini long-haired dachshund Hunter, and again it's strange that this usually popular breed hasn't received any suitable offers of a home.  There's a slight catch with any breed,  and dachshunds are no exception.  Their original purpose was to hunt badgers so their long bodies and short legs served a purpose (to get down into the badger holes), but it now makes them prone to spinal injuries.  Care must always be taken with all long-bodied dogs when picking up and carrying, or letting them jump up and down off sofas etc.  As hunters by nature the dachshund (literal translation from German means badger dog) is usually a feisty character, so even the miniature versions think of themselves as guard dogs.   This is what Hunter's family say about him: "We adopted Hunter from HKDR about a year ago. He is one of the sweetest companion dogs you have ever met. He never shies from showing affection for his humans and truly loves a good play time - fetching and belly rubs are his favourite things. He would follow you around the house and rest right next to you wherever you are. He's still active and energeticat eight years old." 

Zara

We have so many puppies that have been in foster homes since they were very young babies and are now at the age when they really have to move on to their forever homes.  A lot of people who have been working from home and have had the time to care for such puppies are returning to work, and we really don't want to have to send any to our Tai Po Homing Centre and put the puppies through the stress of losing their homes and having to adapt to a completely different environment and way of living.  One such puppy is Zara, an unmistakable girl with one blue eye.  Her foster family say she can be a bit timid with strangers so she may not be suitable to be with young children, but once she knows you she's very loving and affectionate. 

For all adoption enquiries please start by completing the questionnaire at  https://hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Rhubarb 

There are always losses along with the new arrivals, and this week we have said a sad goodbye to two Tai Po dogs, Rhubarb and Squirt.  Both were sent to Acorn when we were concerned about their health, and emergency surgery revealed their cases were hopeless.  Rhubarb was always a shy boy so Tai Po was his home, while Squirt was originally with me on Lamma before moving to Tai Po, and most recently he's been in a wonderful foster home with ex-HKDR dog Felix, now Haru.  We can take some consolation from the fact that his final weeks were incredibly happy ones. 

Squirt in front, with his best friend Haru (was Felix)