Weds 29th April: A round-up for April

 There's been so much happening this month, as well as me being away for a week, so I haven't had time to write much.  We have new dogs arriving continuously, with many more surrender requests and messages from the four AFCD Centres asking if we can accept dogs and puppies from them as well.   I read the posts from the other dog rescue groups that I know, and everyone is under the same strain and stress of being completely full but desperately wanting to help those innocent animals in need.  An ignorant comment under one such post about two old dogs that were becoming homeless suggested that the dogs should be "set free" out in the countryside somewhere.  I'm not even going to mention the area as too many dogs are abandoned there, almost of all whom will die or be killed very quickly, but for 14 year-olds it would mean absolute certain death.   

As much as I blame the government for their lack of dealing with the problem by providing a desexing programme for all homeless dogs, just as other countries do, the blame also has to lie with dog owners who have no understanding of the commitment of bringing any animal into their home.  There are some genuine cases, but for the most part the problem is simply that people don't think past the next year or so instead of the 15+ years that is the average lifespan of a domestic dog.  Finding homes for puppies is hard enough, but adult large sized mongrels (mixed breeds) are exceptionally lucky if they're chosen for adoption.  In almost every case these dogs will live out their lives in a shelter somewhere. 

Smaller adult dogs are luckier simply because most Hong Kong homes don't have the space for a large dog, so we're able to take in far more dogs at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre than at Tai Po. Many of these dogs are young, just a year or so old, and very friendly.   Even so, our Centre is jam-packed with furry bodies just waiting for their lucky day. 

Six of these are puppies that had been staying with me on Lamma for the past three weeks, and while they were very timid when they first arrived (and with very patchy coats), they're growing into very sweet and funny 4 month-olds.  Come and see the "S" litter at Ap Lei Chau if you're looking for a small-to-medium sized puppy.

Of course taking care of the dogs, many of whom need extensive surgery or health care when they arrive, means working to bring in the funds to cover the costs, and Yannie is the staff member in charge of this side of the charity.  We have our Flag Day coming up, which is an annual event, while there are always one-off opportunities to bring in much-needed funds. 

We've also updated our Life Saver Club information, a monthly sponsorship programme which can be as little at $200 a month.  Please check it out on our website, as well as the dogs that are available and eagerly waiting for their new homes.  You can take a look at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/dogs/ for photos and details. 

Sun 5th April: Happy Easter adoptions

 The adoptions mentioned didn't take place today, Easter Sunday, but in the preceding days, so the headline is rather misleading.  However we are hoping that there will be more names to add to the list after the holiday is over, especially as we have some meetings arranged.  Adoptions are the reason we're here, and all of the dogs and puppies that are staying with us at Tai Po, Ap Lei Chau, or even on Lamma (six puppies) are eagerly waiting for that special day. 

I have to admit that it's been a tough time for me recently, as the dogs that live with me are all old now and with that comes inevitable death.  I lost four dogs in a row, being String, Flip, Crumble and Venus, and now Thomas is about to take that final step, with Olivia also on the way.  Sometimes it happens suddenly, while with others it's a slow decline, but either way it's not easy.  I listen to the current puppies playing, their happy shrieks and "laughter", and it reminds me of when my dogs were themselves young.  The time passes so quickly, and it's a good reminder to enjoy everything while you can. 

Other than the six puppies now with me (their skin isn't great so I'm waiting for that to be resolved), we have other lovely puppies at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, including a very young German shepherd girl called Violet.  I did question whether she was actually a real GSD and was told she was rescued from a breeder, so let's see.

If you're interested in adopting any of our dogs or puppies, large or small, please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.  We'll get back to you as soon as we can, usually on the same day.

Weds 25th March: An unexpected delivery

Regular readers of my blog may remember that some months ago we took in around forty small dogs from a home where the owner had suddenly died.  Most of the dogs were French bulldogs, but there were some mixed breeds too as the dogs hadn't been desexed, and nor were they in the best of health.  Some had heartworm, others had typical genetic issues such as bad knees, and although a good number of them have now found homes, we still have quite a few still waiting.

Due to the sheer number of dogs arriving at the same time, some of them had to come to Lamma temporarily, with Lemon requiring heartworm treatment and all of the others having to be desexed.  The lucky ones have been adopted, but I still had three staying with me, that is until today when a surprise delivery of six puppies meant that Lemon (a very sweet, young and small-sized mix) and pug-French bulldog Bear, had to move to Ap Lei Chau so I could accommodate the puppies in their place.  

New puppies at Ap Lei Chau have to be quarantined for a couple of weeks so we can make sure they're not carrying or incubating any diseases, but our isolation section is currently still occupied which is why I brought this new crop back to Lamma, and I can also fix their rather threadbare coats and generally get them in good shape.  They're gorgeous little things, and they won't be large as adults, so hopefully their stay with me won't be too long.  With Easter and Ching Ming coming up soon, so many people are going away again, so the timing should work quite well.   In the meantime, if anyone can foster a pair that would be very helpful, and as a reminder we don't ask foster parents to pay for anything so food, bowls, beds and toys will be provided, as well as fencing and anything else.  All we ask is that puppies are taken to Acorn for their vet checks and vaccinations as needed.  If you can foster any age of dog or puppy, please complete the form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.

I'd also like to recommend the three dogs that stayed with me for a while, that is Lemon, Bear and Maisy, as they're all extremely sweet and friendly to people, although due to their rather unusual previous circumstances they would probably be best in single dog homes. 

Of course we have many dogs of all ages and size waiting for homes, at both Ap Lei Chau (small and medium) and Tai Po (medium and large), so please complete the adoption questionnaire if you're looking to add to your family.  It's at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Fri 21st March: The never-ending situation

 We're always being asked to accept more dogs, whether from AFCD (government), independent rescuers, members of the public or dogs owners who want or need to re-home their pets.  I accept there are situations when there's no choice but these are actually quite rare, and for the most part the reasons these dogs end up needing help from HKDR or other organisations is that they are innocent victims, one way or another.

Puppies are born because their mothers (and fathers) hadn't been spayed or neutered, and while some people say desexing is cruel or undesirable, the results are far worse than any very short-term discomfort.  Yes, we now know that desexing a puppy too early has negative health implications, but that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be done once a dog is an adult.  If you had to deal with the thousands of homeless puppies that are born every year, you would agree, I'm sure. 

Pet shops and breeders don't care who they sell their puppies to as long as they get the money, and the result is many cases of "buyer's regret".  I'm sure most people have bought something that they later realised was a mistake, but there's a difference between a pair of shoes and a living animal.  Just this month we took in a border collie puppy and a golden retriever puppy, both quickly adopted and now in homes that understand what having a dog means.   Both puppies had come from people that had bought them from pet shops. 

Smaller dogs and purebreeds usually find homes quite quickly, especially when young, but we're still waiting for a good home for the smaller-sized Samoyed, Sam, who at two years is already "too old" for most adopters.

We still have a border collie (Owen) at Tai Po, as well as a malinois (Jinx), two breeds that are highly intelligent and require homes that can provide not only adequate physical exercise, but also mental stimulation.  Without both, these dogs can quickly become problematic.  When they're in the right home these dogs are fantastic, but not many people have the time, knowledge and energy to keep them happy.

It doesn't matter what size a dog is, they still need the same care and attention, time and companionship.  There's still a misconception that small dogs don't need to be taken out much because they can play at home, but that's not true and doesn't take into account the importance of socialisation, or the need for all dogs to experience life outside the home.   If I put it into a human context, that's like saying short people don't need to leave their homes much, whereas tall people do.  It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

If you want to see our already-resident dogs, you can check the full list at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/dogs/, while new arrivals will be posted first on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

If you're interested in adopting, please complete the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ as a first step.  

Weds 11th March: More new dogs arriving

 This is just going to be a quick update to mention some new dogs that are due to arrive at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre today, and I've attached photos with as much information as we've been given.  I have to add that many times these details aren't entirely accurate, but for now that's all we have.   Once the dogs have arrived they'll be assessed, given names, licensed (with rabies vaccination) and checked by a vet.  If you're interested in adopting any of them, please complete the questionnaire as a first step: www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Of course we already have many other dogs who have already been through all of the checks and vaccinations, and we'll be sharing an updated photo album of them on our Hong Kong Dog Rescue Facebook page. You can also check long-term volunteer Harryn's Instagram @h_dogsister for lots of lovely shots of the dogs, both inside the Homing Centre and at the dog park.

Some dogs are lucky enough to be in-and-out, even if the "out" is just to be taken in for fostering.  We knew that Border Collie pup Cora (Kora), and Golden Retriever pup Finn, wouldn't be staying for long, and sure enough both found wonderful homes very quickly.  You can take a look at their photos and videos on Instagram @why_i_foster, as well as others that will be staying in this great foster home in the future. 

Another newcomer that I thought would ne in-and-out is a small Samoyed boy, 2 years old, and now called Sam.  Although very friendly, we found out that Sam wouldn't be suitable for a home with young children when he didn't like the hair behind his ears being cut during grooming.   I hope this won't be a deterrent to him finding a home, as many dogs have sensitive parts, and the knots may have been painful. 

As always, an adoption from our Tai Po Homing Centre is always special, and this time it's Dani who was chosen.   The mixed breeds, or mongrels, are so often overlooked, but they are almost always far easier than the breeds.  I just wish there was the same excitement and flurry of adoption enquiries for  these beautiful dogs as there are every time we have a Golden Retriever or a Border Collie. 

Tues 3rd March: A sad update, and more new dogs

 In my previous blog I wrote about puppy season, and the fact that we'd taken in a litter of six young puppies, as well as a further ten that had come from a home of sorts.  By that I mean they weren't born to a stray mother, where there's the biggest risk of infectious diseases like parvovirus or distemper.  As it turned out, the six babies quickly developed symptoms of parvovirus (commonly referred to as simply parvo), so we had to arrange to move them into 24-hour care vet hospitals.  Not only is this a challenge due to the lack of isolation space in most clinics, but also full-time care, and although the SPCA could accept four of the pups we were left with two that also needed to be admitted to another vet hospital. 

As of today, sadly three of the puppies have already died, so we just hope that the surviving three will make it through.  As a virus. there's no actual treatment for parvo, just supportive care and luck, plus the puppy's own immune system playing a big part in the chances of survival.  The financial burden of these outbreaks is also a major challenge, especially when we're forced to use clinics that don't offer charity discounts. 

The good news is that the other ten puppies are all fine, and we've already seen three being adopted.   We do take care to quarantine all new dogs and puppies, so no others were affected by the parvo puppies.

Today we also took in four new small adult dogs (Nicky, Nora, Noddy and Noodle), with other additions being direct surrenders from their owners (a bichon and a chihuahua). Cavalier King Charles Hester was also returned after a failed adoption, and not at all the poor dog's fault.  

We were also asked if we would accept a young Samoyed boy, and I posted his photo on Facebook expecting a good response.  However so far no suitable home has been offered, so please let us know if you're interested.

Mon 23rd Feb: New puppies, and adoptions

With the Chinese New Year holidays finally over it's time to get back to the normal routine again, which will hopefully mean more families ready to bring a new four-legged addition into their home.  We have so many to choose from, all sizes and age, and I was (sadly) reminded when looking through the photos of the Tai Po dogs shared on our HKDR Facebook page, that many came to us when they were just babies.  Their siblings will have been adopted, but there always seems to be one leftover for no reason other than bad luck or timing, and it's a reminder that life can be very unfair.  We never lose hope that these lovely dogs will get their chance one day, but until then we promise to do our best for them.

This includes outing whenever possible, such as the traditional CNY Hike with volunteers, and everyone had a wonderful time in fantastic weather. 

 It must be puppy season again, although I think that's pretty much all year round really.  We had two requests to accept young pups over the weekend, and while we can't agree to every such request, as we happen to have the space at the moment we agreed to take a litter of six as well as a lone puppy girl.  They're too young to be adopted as singletons, but we need foster homes (in pairs), so if you can help please start by completing the foster form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.  

At HKDR we provide all foster parents with everything that's needed in terms of food, beds, bowls and fencing, so we just ask that a safe and comfortable space is provided until the puppies can be adopted. 

I'm always happy to write about adoptions, and as usual these usually take place at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, 13-15 Wai Fung Street, where the puppies and smaller dogs stay. Fergus, Freddie, Buster and Ernest were some of the lucky ones, while Colin was chosen at our Tai Po Centre.

If you're ready to adopt, please complete the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/, thank you.