In my previous blog I'd written that the hot weather had arrived, although it was in fact just a teaser for what was to come. For most of us we can at least retreat indoors, but for the Tai Po dogs, and the staff/volunteers, life has to continue outdoors regardless of the temperature.
If you haven't been to our very large Tai Po Homing Centre site, it's built on a steep slope, so going up and down the steps to the various enclosures is like a good (punishing) gym workout. When we first moved there in 2010 I was a lot younger and fitter than I am now, so climbing up and down many times during a visit was no problem. I don't like to think about doing the same now, especially in the fierce heat, so I'm extremely grateful for all of those who continue to help - and work - under such conditions. We're all concerned for the dogs too, of course, as heat stroke is very real and it can happen all too quickly.
Other than the heat, there are hidden dangers in everyday life too, as we found out when Tai Po dog Crayon suddenly became very ill. She was sent to Acorn for assessment and treatment, but it wasn't until her condition deteriorated that she was opened up to see what was causing the problem. It turned out she had an intestinal blockage which we later worked out was part of a chewed up yoga mat. Luckily Crayon is going to be fine, but the experience was a stark reminder that rubber, plastic, and other such materials can be deadly. Those cheap plastic dog toys should never be given to dogs of any size because they're so easily chewed up and swallowed, and balls should also be large and solid enough.
We don't have a problem with the heat at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre as it's an indoor space with air conditioning. However, it's also quite small and crowded, so we have to be careful about bringing new dogs in. That's why when we're asked to take in any new dogs, no matter how cute, small or easy to home, I always post them on Facebook first so we can have homes ready to take them immediately. This is what happened when we were asked if we could accept a 6 month-old King Charles Cavalier, a very popular breed and still a puppy, and of course there was a big response to the post. Despite that, the first two potential adopters who came to meet the puppy decided he was too big (for the breed) and too lively, so it was the third couple who finally took him home. Happily it wasn't that these adopters were less suitable than the others, it's just a matter of who gets there first when it's such a popular dog.
The other issue with dogs that need to be taken out immediately is that although we've been told they're vaccinated and desexed, we're not given records or any actual history (in most cases). So even though a particular dog might have a queue of potential adopters eager to take it home, many - if not most - want the dog to have seen a vet before doing so. You could say that's understandable, but I don't know if breeders and pet shops agree to take their animals to a vet before the buyer takes them home. We would expect that anyone keen enough would take the dog or puppy to the vet themselves, although of course all of the dogs that have been with us more than a day or so will have been checked by a vet.
If you can't adopt but could help out temporarily by fostering one of the new arrivals until he or she has had time to be checked, vaccinated and so on, please complete the form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.
If you can offer a forever home, please complete the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.
On a separate matter, the very kind donor of meat off-cuts for the Lamma dogs, Steak King, has moved from (very convenient) Wong Chuk Hang to Kwai Chung. As our van is always busy transporting dogs, it's not easy going to places that aren't on our normal routes for ad hoc collections. What would really be helpful would be a chest freezer so we could make less frequent trips and take larger batches. If anyone would be kind enough to sponsor the cost of such a freezer, that would be wonderful. The dogs absolutely love the fresh meat, and it would be a real shame if we had to stop accepting the donations from Steak King.
