Tues 20th Sept: The difference a bit of time makes

 All three dogs in today's post experienced dramatic changes in their lives, and appearance, since coming to HKDR not that long ago.  It's always worth reiterating that dogs are sentient creatures, just like all animals large or small, and that they have emotions and sensitivities just as humans do.  They go through the same feelings of fear, confusion, loneliness and anxiety when what is familiar to them is taken away, and they find themselves in a strange place with unfamiliar people, with no idea of why or how this happened. 

Foxy leaving Kennedy Town

Foxy the shiba inu was a breeder dog, used to produce endless litters of puppies, many of which would be bought by people who have no idea about what a dog needs, and especially this breed. Physically Foxy wasn't in good shape, and it's taken a while to get her to her current healthy appearance.  Most potential adopters are (understandably) put off when they see a moth-eaten coat, usually caused by ringworm or mange, afraid that they will catch something from the dog.  The long and chewed teats are also off-putting, the result of having suckled too many litters, one after another, but this will also resolve itself after some time.  Foxy was adopted today, and you can see how good she looks now, her past over and done with and only a happy puppy-free future to look forward to.

Aiden was one of the group of twenty, the most recent HKDR@Elgin temporary guests.  His condition on arrival was the worst of all, because while the other dogs and puppies were just very scared, Aiden was suffering severe post-distemper symptoms, so bad that one front leg was constantly swinging in front of the other.  Happily we found a loving foster home for Aiden so he could have the leg amputated, the only way he would be able to walk relatively normally, and he's doing incredibly well now.  He's such a sweet boy, just medium sized, and if you are interested in offering him a forever home we'd love to hear from you. 

Adam at the end of August

Adam was a beautiful boy, but again very scared when he arrived. His adopter said he knew he was "the one" when they met at Elgin Street, and after just a short time Adam is barely recognisable (in a good way of course).  I've watched the video of him many times over, just to see the transformation and the joy in Adam as he is now. 

The same Adam, less than a month later

There's a saying, "never judge a book by its cover", and this applies to dogs as much as anything else. The way a dog looks, or its breed name or lack of breed, has nothing to do with what's inside. The strangest-looking dogs are just the same as the most handsome when it comes to their ability to love, to be loyal, and to want to be part of a family. So many adoption applications specify a particular breed, when we have a Homing Centre at Tai Po bursting with dogs that would give their all just to be chosen, and to be able to prove their worth. Please don't judge a dog by its cover, because you will never know what you're missing if you do.