Sat 30th Sept: 42 adoptions for this month

 I was going to say we had another crazy day today, but since that's a normal situation I'll just mention that the new dogs turned up at exactly the same time as all of the potential adopters. In fact it wasn't until Sunday morning (meaning just now) that I had any photos or information about the newcomers, one of whom had already been adopted and a second, a poodle, almost certainly leaving first thing on Sunday. Now I have to come up with names that haven't been used a hundred times before. 

An in-and-out puppy 

The in-and-out puppy was the brindle boy mentioned yesterday, so there's no need for a foster home after all. 

The terrier whose photo I also shared yesterday is three years old, and there are also a pair of miniature pinschers, not a breed we see much of nowadays.  We're told they're four years old but they're overweight and don't seem to have been exercised much (if at all), so they need to get back into shape.  Normally these dogs are super-active, so it's a shame to see them so round at such a young age. 

The new intake, all young adults 

Biffin is a master climber 

Also leaving to start their new lives as family members were poodles Biffin and Zoe, with Dewy being taken for a trial with Zoe to see how she settles in (she has one eye and is a bit timid).

Zoe is the bigger poodle 

Poodle Zara also left for fostering so she can have her required surgery and recover in a clean and quiet home.

Where did you get those ears Yaddle? 

Meanwhile, as we prepare for Sunday's Whiskers N Paws Puppy Party, I can announce that the new youngsters Whisker and Paw are already spoken for.  At least one will be adopted, and the other will join as a foster puppy until they're a bit older. Instead, big-eared Yaddle will be attending, and once Whisker and Paw have left we have plenty of others in the queue to take their place. 

I should also mention that although it seems many dogs are adopted every month, which is wonderful of course, we still have many more still waiting for homes.  Our Kennedy Town Centres are packed with all sorts of small and medium-sized dogs, while there are literally hundreds at our big Tai Po Homing Centre. 

Please take the first step in the adoption process by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Here are the lucky forty two dogs adopted during September:

Tai Po Homing Centre

Dumpy (Sharpei cross)

Yogurt (Siberian Husky)

Dolly (Multibreed)

Kennedy Town Homing Centre

Morgan (Border Collie cross)

Arthur (Pug)

Dino (Terrier cross)

Julian (Terrier cross)

Banksy (Bichon Frise)

Laura (Poodle puppy)

Nutty (Poodle)

Melody (Multibreed)

Jimmy (Multibreed)

Babette (French Bulldog)

Skye (French Bulldog cross)

Zinnia (Poodle)

Drew (Pug cross)

Zak (Poodle)

Ashley (Multibreed)

Zumba (Poodle)

Ludo (Terrier cross)

Biffin (Poodle)

Zoe (Poodle)

Brindle puppy 

Whiskers N Paws

Nadia (Terrier cross puppy)

Nero (Terrier cross puppy)

Tim (Multibreed puppy)

Todd (Multibreed puppy)

Foster Homes

Jasper (Multibreed puppy)

Jackson (Poodle Terrier cross)

Jilly (Multibreed puppy)

Twiggy (Poodle)

Roo (Poodle)

Albert (Corgi Shiba cross puppy)

Amber (Corgi Shiba cross puppy)

Dumpling (Multibreed puppy)

Jill (Multibreed puppy)

Corby (Multibreed puppy)

Navy (Terrier cross puppy)

Jax (Multibreed puppy)

Johnnie (Multibreed puppy)

Zuma (Sharpei cross)

Our Forever Dogs

Tyga (Lamma) 

Blake (Lamma)

Lula (Lamma)

Patricia (Taipo)

Harvard (Taipo)

Damien (Taipo)

Rescued Dogs (Total: 33)

From AFCD: 9

From other sources: 24

Fri 29th Sept: Happy Mid-Autumn for some of our lucky dogs

 As quickly as dogs are adopted it seems to create a vacuum, immediately attracting replacements.  No sooner had Samoyed Brady been picked up from Tai Po for a trial adoption with the resident dog, and husky Echo been offered a new home, than we received a message from AFCD asking us to take more dogs, three dogs and two puppies to be precise.  

This pup is expected on Saturday 

We're also expecting another delivery of small dogs to Kennedy Town North Street on Saturday, including a poodle (of course), a gorgeous scruffy terrier (they're all gorgeous in my eyes), and a sole brindle puppy.   We'll be needing a foster home for the puppy, so if you can take him/her in please complete the foster form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/, or let Cindy know (foster@hongkongdogrescue.com) if you are already a registered foster. 

Also coming on Saturday we're told 

Zumba is really adorable 

Once again we had a lot of visitors to our Kennedy Town Centres, and I'm expecting at least a few of them will have made up their minds over the long weekend.  One of these is a double adoption, which is always lovely of course.  

Another one of the "Z" poodles was taken home today, and this time it was adorable Zumba, also a young girl and really very sweet. 

Usko is everyone's kind uncle

Puppy Todd was adopted from Whiskers N Paws, so we currently have big and gentle Usko taking care of the two new arrivals, Whisker and Paw.  Surely someone must want a dog like Usko, a brilliant "uncle" to all other dogs and children alike.

For all adoption enquiries please complete the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Thurs 28th Sept: What we want for our dogs and puppies

Guess where these new puppies are staying?

 You probably know we have many hundreds of dogs of all sizes waiting for homes, so we frequently hear complaints when we reject someone for adoption.  The thing is that we believe there is a minimum standard of care required for every animal, including and especially dogs because that's what specifically concerns us.  In many cases the dogs are better off at the Homing Centres than they would be in homes where there is a distinct lack of understanding of dogs and their needs, so we prefer to wait until a suitable adoption situation is offered.   We don't discriminate against anyone based on their nationality or gender, we're only interested in the kind of life that the dog or puppy would be given, and that there is at least the intention of a home for ever.

Unfortunately there is still a lot of misunderstanding about dog and puppy care and training, even though there has been a huge amount of scientific research into dog behaviour over the past few decades.  That's why trainers who say they have been doing this work for fifty years need to be looked at carefully, because methods and beliefs that were popular back then are now seen to be both cruel and counter-productive.

For example, bullying and threatening a dog into good behaviour will not work in the long term, because the basis of every successful dog-human relationship is trust.  The training kennels located out in the New Territories almost all use the old-fashioned methods, and we see many cases of dogs that have been sent off to such establishments and subsequently turned into fear biters.  When a scared dog has no other way of protecting itself, then using its teeth is the only remaining option. 

At HKDR we are lucky enough to have our own highly experienced and qualified dog trainer in Cactus Mok, as well as other qualified trainers that we particularly recommend for at-home one-on-one training for specific issues.  This could be basic puppy training, or for couples who are expecting a baby and want to prepare their dog for the new arrival, or any other particular needs.

"At HKDR, we believe in only force-and-fear-free, reward-based, positive reinforcement training methods that are based on a thorough and science-proved understanding of a dog's physical and behavioural characteristics, body language and learning mechanism, regardless of a dog’s age, breed, behavioural problems or past history.

The emotional and physical welfare of the dog should be of primary importance, and the training methods should aim at promoting a positive and caring relationship between caregivers and their companion dogs.

We reject the use of harsh, physical, psychological, coercive and aversive methods, including the use of choke chains, pinch or prong collars, electric shock collars, and any equipment that restricts normal movement and choice, causes pain, shock, fear, or restricts breathing.

Thanks to our education partner 毛夥伴教育學院 Companion Animal College for sharing this. We invite all dog caregivers and professionals to advocate the same principle in training and behavioural modification, making this world a better place for our lovely 4-legged companions."

Skye had her adoption confirmed!

All HKDR adopters have free access to Cactus for all training needs and questions, so you are never alone with an HKDR dog.

If you would like to adopt, please start by completing the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ with as much information as you can.

Weds 27th Sept: Yes we have breeds too

 While it's true most of our dogs and puppies are mixes of all sorts, if you want breeds we have those too.

Echo is a very sweet girl 

Samoyed Brady and husky Echo are young at two years, and both very lovely dogs.  They're staying at our Tai Po Homing Centre, as is Cane Corso Bucket, although he's a dog that needs a strong and experienced adopter with lots of space (a large garden is a must for this energetic boy).

Bucket 

 

Brady 

We have several shiba inu, the most recent additions being only eleven months old, both boys.  Kira is a female, also young at only a year old. Although small in size, this breed also needs a home with someone who understands dogs, and shibas in particular, as they're usually not cuddly types who are great with other dogs.  As always I have to add that these observations are generalised, and there are always exceptions. 

Kira 

Big Mac 

We have many poodles of all colours, from young to senior, although no puppies except for Standard poodle Mac (or Macc) currently in a foster home.  Standard poodles are large dogs, very smart like all poodles, and they need regular grooming to keep their coats from becoming matted and full of knots. 

Lively Biffin 

We have Bijou the French bulldog, young at three years even if she has just had one eye removed.

Boomer is 2 year old 

There are two senior corgis, with another young (although challenging) corgi boy currently on Lamma. Boomer has changed dramatically from when he first arrived and was bullied by shiba inu Damson, because now the situation has been reversed and Boomer is now the head of his own little gang and is quite the boss.  He loves the freedom of his new life and the fact that he has a very large outdoor space he and his friends can roam in, and his new bestie is Hetty. 

Breeds go in and out of fashion, with the current top ones being poodles, shiba inu and corgis.  Schnauzers used to be right up there, but these days it's quite rare that anyone asks specifically for a schnauzer.  Pekingese and shih tzus used to be pretty much the only small breeds in Hong Kong when I first started rescuing dogs (with a few poms and schnauzers), but we hardly see any pekes and very few shih tzus now.  Golden retrievers are probably still the most popular of all the larger breeds, and if we ever have any available they are quickly adopted. 

Of course the best breed of all is the mongrel, a mix of all the best parts of the various breeds that go into making one.  Anyway that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it!

Tues 26th Sept: Frenchie Bijou needs a foster, and we need puppy fosters too

 Since every day is  working day for me I tend to be surprised when I learn that there's a long weekend coming up, but at least it explains why this week has suddenly gone a bit quiet.  Just as a reminder, we open every single day of the year without exception, so yes, we'll be open over the Mid-Autumn weekend if you would like to come to meet any of the dogs.  Just please make sure you've completed the adoption or foster questionnaire in advance, and have been invited to visit.  

Usko and Tim (adopted)

Not all of the available dogs are staying at the Homing Centres, because some lucky ones are in foster homes, or full time residents at Whiskers N Paws until they are adopted.   I shared photos of foster pups Sunshine and Smartie yesterday but have just received some updated ones.  Puppies grow so fast it's hard to keep up! As a reminder, these two girls are small sized, so will be small-to-medium as adults.

Sunshine

Smartie 

Usko, shown here with just-adopted Tim, is at Whiskers N Paws, and I can't recommend this lovely boy enough.  He's gentle with all other dogs, whatever their size, and young children, and would make the best all-round family dog ever. 

We recently took in three French bulldogs, all young, and one of them was adopted almost immediately.  The youngest, a boy called Claude, was taken for a trial adoption with another dog called Jeremy, and he (Claude) is proving to be one of those typically crazy-fool Frenchies that you see so many videos of on Instagram.  That's the thing about some breeds, you have to expect the behaviour that's bred into them, and I have to say it's really very funny to watch.  Anyway, Claude may or may not be coming back, just in case you're someone like me who rather likes a comedian dog.

Claude is a very funny boy

Bijou is 3 years old 

The third of these Frenchies had a permanent eye problem when she arrived, and sadly the best option for Bijou was to have the eye removed, and that surgery was carried out today.  We need a foster home for Bijou, and don't worry, she's not like her "brother" Claude, she's a very sweet little dog.  If you can foster Bijou while she recovers, and maybe even adopt her, please complete the foster form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.

Baby Bruno and Big Mac

We also really need foster homes for young puppies, as there are still seven waiting from the same litter as Bruno and Sandro, who you can see on Instagram @why_i_foster, along with Mac (Macc), the standard poodle puppy who is also available for adoption to the right home. 

For lots of other photos of available Kennedy Town dogs, please check out hkdr_eagle, or our Instagram @hkdr_official page.

Mon 25th Sept: We have a dog for every home

A boy and his dog (Fitz)

 We had a wonderful Twopresents  donation from Kaz Lam on Sunday, even more special because the family adopted one of the "F" puppies, Fitz, so a double thank you is needed.  The photo was taken by volunteer photographer Sophie Burkhardt-Jolly, also an adopter of one of our puppies (Pebble), and the rest of the album can be seen here Puppy Adoption Day 24th Sep 2023. 

Brady is 2 years old 

I want to mention a few dogs and puppies here, dogs like Samoyed Brady who is coming back from his foster home and in urgent need of a new forever home.  Brady is typical of his breed, and he's needy for attention and mental stimulation, as well as the obvious exercise requirements.  We can't consider small homes as being suitable, or very busy and built-up areas that are challenging to walk a dog in.  I should also mention that Brady is a lovely boy with a happy personality. 

Kira is a happy girl now 

Ex-breeder shiba inu Kira came to us with serious twitching in her back legs which made resting and sleep almost impossible. It was distressing to see her trying to get comfortable when her legs were moving uncontrollably.   Happily she's now on medication which has had a dramatic effect on the problem, and as you can see from the photo she can now enjoy going for walks, something that was previously impossible. 

We will also be taking two eleven month-old shibas from AFCD on Tuesday, and as they were surrendered to AFCD by the same person I'm going to assume it's a breeder who hadn't been able to sell them as young puppies.

Mac and Bruno 

Standard poodle Mac (or Macc) is having a wonderful time at Instagram @why_i_foster, and is acting as big brother to the two new pups, Sandro and Bruno.  All are available for adoption, but at their very young age we would need the little ones to be together for a couple of weeks yet.  Although obviously older, Mac has clearly had no real life experience so is also having to learn the basics.  

Smartie is the poser with the head tilt 

Smartie and Sunshine are small-sized, and were tiny when they first came to us.  Unfortunately their very small size and their young age made them susceptible to infection, and they developed a bad cough.   They're well on their way to full health again now, thanks to another wonderful foster parent, also one of our regular and very experienced carers, although they're still not 100%.  We would love to see these adorable sisters find their forever homes, perhaps even together if possible.

Zumba 

Zumba is one of the "Z" poodles, and at only two years old she's just adorable and incredibly sweet. 

We have dogs of all sizes and all kinds, young and senior, so someone for every (good) home.

Please complete the adoption questionnaire if you would like to take one (or two) home: www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Sun 24th Sept: Lots to celebrate

While I wait for the photos from yesterday's Whiskers N Paws (small) party, I can still share a photo of puppy Tim, who was adopted just before the two o'clock starting time for the weekly event.

Bruno and Sandro are part of a litter of nine

While on the subject of puppies, I want to mention two new additions to the Instagram @why_i_foster home, youngsters Sandro and Bruno (apparently they're footballers).  These two are part of a large litter I was asked if we could help, and there are seven more, around six weeks old.  If you can foster a pair, please let us know, or of course they are also available for adoption.  The foster application form is at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/ , and we will provide everything you need during the puppies' stay with you. 

Zak going home 

Kennedy Town was non-stop today, with potential adopters arriving every minute, some just for a first look and others (thankfully) leaving with their new dogs. Poodle Zak was one of the lucky ones chosen, as was Ashley.  Ludo also left for a trial adoption with the resident dog, while Nathan is earmarked for later in the week, if not adopted sooner. 

This was Ludo's earlier makeover

Ashley found her family 

Schnauzer Primo 

Primo the schnauzer also moved to his new forever home after we had established that he really wanted to be the only star in the home (he'd been living with ex-HKDR Avia and Soda before). 

Dumpling and family 

Puppy Dumpling had her adoption confirmed by her foster family, so that's another free membership to the Failed Foster Club. 

Over at Tai Po it was a big day for Dolly, as she was also adopted by her typhoon foster.  Dolly has been waiting for a long time, as have so many of our other young Tai Po dogs, so these adoptions are always extra special.  

Dolly 

Cavapoo boy Skippy 

Following just a few days after the surrender of the Standard Poodle puppy, now called Mac (and you can also see his photos on Instagram @why_i_foster), I received another surrender request for a Cavapoo (a cross between a King Charles Cavalier and a poodle) due to there being a new human baby in the home.  I asked where the Cavapoo had come from, and was told he was bought from a breeder in Australia.  As with schnauzer Primo (surrendered due to his family leaving Hong Kong) and Mac the Standard Poodle (I believe the ex-owners had him for all of three days), I don't want to focus on the past, I want to find the dogs new and FOREVER homes.  If you're interested in adopting the Cavapoo, or any of our other dogs, please complete the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ as a first step. 

River is a very timid girl 

 You probably know that I have my own community of dogs on Lamma, ranging from the young and small to the large and old, so there's always something happening outside of the Homing Centres at Tai Po and Kennedy Town.  Today I said goodbye to yet another oldie, big boy Blake, but that's not what this story is about, rather a very shy but gorgeous scruffy terrier called River.  River loves her life with her dog friends and playing in the garden, but she has always been scared of leaving her safety zone, so when she went missing a few days ago it was hard to understand.  My biggest fear was that she had been taken by a python, because there are plenty around and they grow big enough to eat a dog. As the days passed and there was no sign of her anywhere, I had begun to accept that she'd gone forever.  But then, as I was was walking with my dogs in the woods today I heard a frantic yapping coming from further up the hill, and I immediately thought of River.  Sure enough it was her, tangled up in the vines and creepers, and now she's safely back home.  How she got there will always be a mystery, but I just hope it's not a story that will be repeated.  

Sat 23rd Sept: A Saturday round-up

 It was another busy day for adoptions at our Kennedy Town Centre, and always a busy day at our Tai Po Homing Centre if only in taking care of the hundreds of dogs staying there. 

Drew has a big smile 

The first adoption was Drew's, quickly followed by the youngest of the new poodles, Zinnia.

Zinnia will look amazing after a hair cut

Arlo is the little grey boy 

Arlo needed to have a short trial with the resident dog, while Claude and Jonathan went to the same home so they too will need a trial to see that they can get along.

Jonathan and cheeky Claude 

You can see Zelda keeps one leg up

Another new poodle, Zelda, went to a foster home as she needs to have surgery on her leg, which she currently can't put down.  

Zuma is a very happy boy now 

There was another very special adoption confirmed, and that was for Zuma, a sharpei who has been fostered by (you might guess) the Sharpei Angel.  Zuma wasn't doing at all well at our Homing Centre but he has changed into a very happy boy, along with Sharlene who continues to gain weight now that she can eat properly.  These are two incredibly lucky dogs, even if they had to endure horrible experiences to get to where they are now. 

Almost certainly Mac's first time on grass

Just to round up today's news, we did get the standard poodle puppy from his now ex-owner.  This is another case of a puppy being bought by someone who had no idea, and thankfully he's now in the best home possible for the time being.  Newly called Mac, this puppy seems to have no experience of life and is bewildered by everything, and is certainly not toilet trained.  He is also very sweet, very beautiful and very large, so anyone who just thinks "poodle" and imagines a small dog would be mistaken.