Tues 5th April: A day to forget

I don't even know where to start with a round up of today's events.  It's been a horrible day, totally depressing and the kind of day that really makes everything we do seem pointless.

It started with some terrible photos from Iris at Ap Lei Chau of a seemingly lifeless cocker spaniel lying in the road, although the poor dog was actually still just alive.  Neighbours said it had come from an upper floor window of an adjacent building, though it was impossible to say if it had jumped or was thrown.  Iris immediately called SPCA and the police, but as the dog was microchipped the owner needed to give consent for SPCA to take it away, and the police, as usual, did their best to avoid doing anything at all.  Eventually the owner appeared (he said he had been shopping)  and the cocker was taken off to be treated, or probably humanely euthanised.

According to AFCD there is no reason at all to suspect that these 3 pugs had been deliberately abandoned.  No doubt they all walked to Tai Po and climbed into the cage by themselves, shutting the door behind them. 

I eventually heard back from AFCD about the case of the three pugs that had been found outside out Tai Po Homing Centre, crammed into a cage together and clearly abandoned.  This was the sickeningly predictable and pathetic reply I got, proving if proof were needed that nobody cares and that the pets in Hong Kong have no voice, no rights and no protection at all:

"This Department conducted an investigation on this case of suspected abandonment of the 3 dogs in contravention of Section 22(1) of the Rabies Ordinance, Cap. 421 which stipulates that: 

 “ A keeper of any animal who, without reasonable excuse, abandons that animal commits an offence and is liable to a fine of $10000 and to imprisonment for 6 months.” 

The result of our investigation revealed that there is no sufficient evidence to support the initiation of prosecution proceedings at this moment.  If we can obtain further evidence, we will pass this case to the Prosecution Unit of this Department for further consideration."

Now there's a baby on the way and the doglet has to go

It's not just the authorities that are to blame though, as was made very clear when we received three requests from adopters to return puppies-now-dogs, all in just one day. What is it that makes people think that adoptions are just for the moment, only until something else happens that makes the dog a disposable inconvenience?  Or that we hold a space open for every dog or puppy in case one day they might come back?

This is the puppy when he was adopted.

There is a general expectation that animal rescue organisations have an obligation to take in all dogs or puppies that are in need, despite that fact that we are all self-funded and over-stretched financially, but even more importantly short of space and volunteers to take care of all of these waifs and strays. The puppies-now-dogs that we are are so casually expected to take back, where do they go?  All they know is their home and family, and do these soon-to-be-ex adopters wonder what it does to a puppy to find itself suddenly in amongst a mass of dogs, scared witless and without any understand of what has happened? It sickens me that people can be so selfish, so heartless and uncaring.