Fri 30th June: A sad dog's tale

I started this week by thinking I would have at least one day free to take care of personal needs, like going to the supermarket to buy my own food and so on.  However as each day starts it becomes apparent that there will be no such time, and now here we are at the end of another week, and even half a year, and still haven't managed to sneak in a few hours to myself.

Callum was due his second vaccination

Today I had two puppies that I needed to get to the vet for due vaccinations before Sunday, and that was all I had scheduled until the ex-breeder schnauzer arrived late the previous afternoon.  These dogs are usually microchipped but are sent to us without any records or license, so the first thing that needs to be done is to go to AFCD to get the dog scanned, given a rabies vaccination if due (which it almost always is) and have myself registered as the official Temporary Keeper.

The ex-breeder schnauzer is now Bowie

Of course there is the inevitable checking of newcomers when I go to AFCD, and apart from two very happy and friendly puppies, there was a four year-old poodle girl.  The story I was told was that a young girl had bought this puppy and then kept it in a cage.  She had subsequently had a baby, and the dog just sat there, the skin problem that it had had since it was first bought getting progressively worse.  Eventually the mother of the girl/young woman took the poodle away, quite rightly saying that it deserved a proper home where it would be at least allowed out of the cage.  The poodle was first taken to another organisation where it was rejected, so it was taken to AFCD.

Kit was completely ignored for 4 years

I was warned that because the poor dog had never been out of the cage it was quite nervous, but actually she is desperate for affection and very sweet.  Her skin is probably due to the very typical poodle allergy and is chronic, meaning long-term, and the skin has thickened over the four years so it now looks like an elephant's skin.  We can treat any superficial infection and change Kit's diet, but the changes to the skin may be permanent although at least not infectious.

We ask all potential adopters to complete a questionnaire for good reason, and it's to weed out the type of adopter who thinks that caging a dog (and a crate is the same) is acceptable, and so is leaving it alone all day and never or rarely walking it.  A dog is a living, thinking, feeling and intelligent animal, that would naturally live in an extended family group.  A dog is not a solitary animal, and however much anyone says that they get used to living alone, what choice do they have if that is the way they are forced to be?  Many home-alone dogs end up with anxiety and depression, and obsessive/destructive behaviour that is treated by giving dog valium (calming drugs).

The fact is that if you are out at work all day, which many if not most people are, and there is nobody at home to be with a dog, then you should not have one.  It's not right or fair and I don't care how much a dog is loved, that love is only available on the owner's terms meaning for very few hours a day.  Dogs need company, exercise, socialisation, training and the opportunity to run and play with other dogs.

Tatum last year

I had a very sad job to do at Acorn today, where Ap Lei Chau dog Tatum had been sent once again, this time because she had lost the use of both of her back legs due to cruciate ligament rupture.  The first leg had been lame for some months, but with the second leg going the same way it had left Tatum completely unable to walk.  That in itself wouldn't be an insurmountable problem as surgery can fix cruciate ruptures, but Tatum also suffered from a debilitating and chronic intestinal problem that meant she was wasting away and losing weight rapidly.  A volunteer was kindly home-cooking special meals that Tatum loved, but nothing stayed inside her long enough to make any difference. When Dr Tony looked at Tatum today both he and I knew what the only kind option was, and I held her in my arms as she very quickly and painlessly slipped away.  I know that Tatum was very much loved by Ap Lei Chau volunteers and she will be missed, but that is life and the inevitability that it's not always for as long as we would like.

Bertram left his lovely foster home today

Now for some good news:  beautiful Stanley Barracks boy Bertram was adopted today, so I now have only Rufus left from that generation to find a home for.  In the meantime he is more than happy staying with his foster family, so I have no concerns about waiting for the right adopter to come along.

The new Yorkie also left our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, and I hope more will be adopted on Saturday to make space for the next batch that are due on Sunday afternoon.

Rufus can wait for the perfect family

Thurs 29th June: Introducing the newcomers

Today's later arrival, 7 year schnauzer boy 

The first group of new small dogs arrived from AFCD Sheung Shui today, as well as an ex-breeder schnauzer who turned up later in the afternoon.

Little Sandy has a big following

I started the day by taking some puppies over from Lamma to meet potential foster/adopters, one of which was five month-old Sandy, who has already attracted a large number of fans through her charm and intelligence.  She's a smaller-sized girl but full of energy and enthusiasm, and the update from her new home after just one night made me smile.  There was no warming up or getting-to-know-you required between Sandy and her potential dog "sister", and the games started almost from the minute the two met.

Sandy's lookalike brother, Ginger, is doing well in his new home too, so now there's just slightly-bigger brother Edward left to home.  I hope he will be chosen very soon, as he shares the same endearing character.

Now there are 2 of these pups left, a girl and a boy

Edward

The other pups were two of the black lab-alikes, Nero and Mole, and it was Mole who was chosen. For now, at least until Sunday when he will go to Whiskers N Paws, Nero will be staying at the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre in case there are any other potential adopters interested in meeting him before the Puppy Afternoon.

The 2 poms have their issues but are incredibly sweet

Back to the new arrivals, as I mentioned before they are not puppies, and nor are the others that will be coming on Sunday from a breeder.  The youngest is the Yorkie and I have already had many enquiries about him so anticipate a very short stay at the Homing Centre.  The two tiny poms, who I'm pretty sure came from the same home as the Yorkie, are very sweet but already heading towards their senior years, and one of them needs surgery on both knees before they completely give way.  The second pom has no bottom jaw, presumably as a result of rotten teeth that were left for so long that the entire jaw bone just crumbled away.  We see this a lot in small dogs whose teeth start to go bad at a very young age, and the infection not only results in broken jaws but the bacteria that is swallowed affects the overall health, even causing heart problems.  Small dogs in particular really need good dental care from the moment their adult teeth come through, and even the Yorkie who isn't yet two years old is already showing signs of tooth decay.

Still only the AFCD photos available

Today's bichon frise is also a senior, and only the poodle - now called Wizard - is still a youngster at four years (and he is really very friendly too).  We don't have photos yet so I can only share those sent to us from AFCD for today.

We also took in a young Doberman girl, as yet unnamed, and I was happy to see that her ears have been left as nature intended even if her tails has been cut.  Cropping of ears and docking of tails has been banned in a lot of countries and I would very much like to see the same laws introduced in Hong Kong.  It's lovely to see poodles and spaniels with full-length waggy tails, and breeds like Dobermans with soft and floppy ears.  The newly-arrived schnauzer has sadly been mutilated at both ends, which is very sad to see.

As a reminder about the upcoming outdoor Pure Yoga event, there is a donations page for those who would like to contribute to HKDR and the work that we do https://www.simplygiving.com/event/yogaforall-yoga-for-dog-lovers

Big thanks to Pure Yoga for this and all the support they have given to HKDR in the past and, we hope, the future too. I hope you and your dogs have fun at the Yoga For All event!

Weds 28th June: Missing questionnaires discovered

I've just discovered that all recently-completed adoption questionnaires have ended up in my Spam folder, so have been going cross-eyed checking through thousands of special offers and other genuinely unsolicited emails trying to find the missing forms.  I think I have them all now, but if you have submitted a questionnaire and not heard back, let me know.

We're getting ready for the intake of many new small dogs over the coming few days, but please note that they aren't puppies.  A couple are very young adults, some a few years old and, of course, some are mature or seniors.  Fortunately there are no really old ones this time round.

We will also be getting a young female Doberman pinscher if anyone is a fan of the breed, and we know for sure it will be a good natured dog as they must all pass the AFCD vet's behaviour assessment.  As always, if you are interested please complete the Adoption Questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt).  I'll be checking my Spam folder regularly from now on.

3 little lovelies arriving on Thursday

Thursday's intake from AFCD will be a young Yorkie, two pomeranians, a bichon and a poodle,  with more poms, a schnauzer, Jack Russell (hopefully already spoken for) and who knows what from a breeder probably arriving on Sunday.  I was also told about another schnauzer that ended up in AFCD via a police station, so whatever happens it's going to be a very full house unless we can move some into foster homes or get them adopted.

The outdoor Pure Yoga event that had to be postponed due to the heavy rain has now been rescheduled, and will take place on  8th July (Saturday) in West Kowloon Cultural District. Come and enjoy doing yoga on a nice piece of lawn with a bunch of dog lovers! Bring your mat, and your dogs too! RSVP here: https://goo.gl/0KkdNc

Our Annual HKDR Raffle draw will take place on Sunday 9th July at Whiskers N Paws, so you have just over a week to buy your tickets.  http://hongkongdogrescue.com/event/raffle2017/

Tues 27th June: A visit to sunny Lamma

Allan, Iris and Kathy heading back to Ap Lei Chau

Sometimes you get days when everything works well and it makes you feel good, like today when the weather was perfect for a visit to my Lamma hangout by Allan Dixon, who was interested to know where all the puppies (and others) lived.   Allan is about to leave Hong Kong after his month-long stay, and he's been doing everything he can to help promote HKDR and our work to his almost half-million Instagram followers, as well as other social media pages.   He's been trying to show me how to make the most out of this kind of free self-promotion, as he's the expert at this kind of thing and I'm an absolute beginner except for my blog.

Lunch with Diamond and Tilly

Iris and Kathy from our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre and office also came along to take advantage of the holiday-like feeling of the beach and surroundings for a few hours, and I know everyone at the Homing Centre has been happy to have met Allan and seen how a professional taker of animal selfies works.  Who even knew there was such a job?

Back to the real world but actually jumping a day ahead, another two dogs left our Tai Po Homing Centre (very early on Wednesday)  to start their new life in another country altogether.  This time it was Nattie and Pringle who were set to fly off to California, and of course we're all thrilled.

Nattie and Pringle saying their goodbyes

Taurus as a foster dog

We also got a message from year-long foster of Taurus letting us know that he would be staying for ever, so we're just waiting for photos of him and his now-official family.

Puppy sisters Ruth, Dolly and Nova are now at Tai Po

Of course we love every adoption from our Tai Po Homing Centre, but there are still literally hundreds of dogs waiting to be chosen, and many of them are still puppies.  We are open every single day of the year with no exceptions, and all potential adopters are welcome any time from 10am to 6pm. Appointments aren't necessary although it does help us to know if there are particular dogs, or types of dogs, that we can get ready for interviews.  Our team are happy to make recommendations as they know all of the dogs and their characters (amazing as that seems given that there are so many), and if you complete the Adoption Questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt) it will give them an idea of who would be most suitable.

Mon 26th June: Sesame and Bertram

It's not that I have a bad memory, in fact the opposite is true thankfully, but my work means that I have to live in the present and take care of everything on a daily basis as required.  What happened yesterday is in the past and I don't have time to think about tomorrow, which is why I have to ask everyone to remind me about events planned or appointments made.  So often when I sit down to write my blog I have to concentrate really hard to recall what happened the day, before as I am already busy with today and what needs to be done.

New boy Alfie turned out not to have a microchip

Mondays are fairly easy to remember as I usually go to AFCD to check on the weekend's arrivals, though not always.  I had to go today anyway as I'd discovered on Sunday that one of the new puppies from AFCD in Sheung Shui was missing his microchip, something that is not uncommon unfortunately.  It's not that microchips routinely fall out, it's that they are not properly inserted in the first place, and it means taking the puppy back to have another chip put in.

Cosmo is just over our small size limit

It's very rare that I will find no new dogs or puppies when I go to AFCD kennels, and today there were two very beautiful three month-old brothers, and a one year-old dog who had been surrendered due to his owner's serious illness and doctor's recommendation to get rid of the dog, something that I find very upsetting as it's often totally unnecessary.  I was told the man who brought the dog was crying (it's the wife who is sick), but what's done is done and now the dog needs a new home.  At first I was going to send him to Tai Po, but when I checked his weight at Acorn before his health check and found that he is only twelve kilos, I asked Iris if she could accept him at Ap Lei Chau.  We consider any dog that weighs ten kilos or less to be small sized, so Cosmo (now called) is only just over that limit.  He's a very sweet boy and a perfect age, so please think about him if you are looking for a dog that isn't large but isn't toy-sized either.

We were able to keep Cosmo at Ap Lei Chau because the four doglets that had been staying there since they were very young puppies finally had to move to Tai Po, and we really hope that they have better luck in finding homes than they did at the small dog Homing Centre.  At Tai Po they will still be seen as puppies, and not large sized either.  It's all a question of perspective, so puppies that are seen as too old at Whiskers N Paws are the youngest residents at Tai Po.

Sesame is an older puppy, but compared to the other babies on Sundays he's too old

Sesame is one of these older puppies, and while he was very lucky to find a new foster home when his previous fosters had to hand him back on Sunday, he's never noticed amongst the other much younger babies on the Whiskers N Paws terrace.  I received this message from his new foster family, so please let Cindy know if you would like to meet Sesame (foster@hongkongdogrescue.com).

"Now that we have Sesame at home, I can see what a lovely and relaxed dog he is. I think the poor thing is so timid at Whiskers n Paws that he may never get adopted. I was wondering if your social media team could post something to that affect and extend the offer to come and see him in a home environment. Cameron is available all day so it should be convenient for most. We live in the Mid-Levels."

Bertram

The same applies to Stanley Barracks boy Bertram, who is still very much a puppy in real terms but is overlooked at Whiskers N Paws.  These older puppies are so easy as they are still young enough to quickly adapt, yet are fully toilet trained, vaccinated and ready to go for walks.

I almost forgot to mention that one of the new arrivals from Sheung Shui AFCD last week was adopted today.  Schnauzer Poppy isn't a youngster and came with some health problems, but that was all accepted by her adopters as a temporary situation, the health part anyway.

Poppy and her kind adopters

Sun 25th June: Family lines

Nibs was a no-brainer for his adopter

It was no surprise that one of the new black labalikes was the first puppy to be adopted today at Whiskers N Paws, while a second went to a foster home later in the afternoon.
Take a look at all the photos here, and thanks to our latest new volunteer photographer, Dennis Cheng, for a lovely set.  It's much harder than you might think getting good shots of fast-moving targets.

Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR) added 156 new photos from 25 June to the album Puppy Adoption Day 25 June 2017 — at Whiskers N Paws

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Chestnut Charlie is staying forever 

Chestnut officially became Charlie when he was adopted by his foster parents today, and that also means I can close the file for that particular litter.  They started life at AFCD with their mother, and I took them out when they were four weeks old and sent them to foster homes in pairs.  It's taken a while for Chestnut-Charlie while his siblings were adopted much earlier on, but finally it's his time.

Emma today

Emma is also the last of her litter of six, although she's still quite young and enjoying life in a foster home.  Can you pick her out from the baby lineup photo?

There was one absent face today and that's because lovely, sweet Tom will be flying off to the United States as soon as we can arrange everything for him to start his new life there. We're all so happy for this wonderful boy, and thanks to his foster to making this happen.

Tom won't be back at Whiskers N Paws

Which one is Emma

Rufus is not the last of the Stanley Barracks puppies still waiting as cousin/brother Bertram also hasn't yet found a forever home, but he is the only fuzzy-faced side of the family.  As it happened his "uncle" Frank was at Whiskers N Paws today so we were able to get a photo of the two of them together.  Frank had looked exactly the same as Rufus when he was adopted, so we can expect that Rufus will also grow a very thick and soft multi-coloured coat like Frank's.  All of the Stanley Barracks dogs have been amazing, including the mother/grandmother many times over who was trapped, desexed and quickly adopted.  Maybe this means the end of this particular family line, so if you are interested in either of the two remaining boys please don't wait too long.

I guessed that new poodle Minty would be chosen pretty quickly, and I was right.  She left today, with at least her face cleared of long hair if not her whole body.

Minty (left) on her way to a new life

Bertram is the short-haired side of the family

Rufus and his Uncle Frank

Sat 24th June: There's more than one poodle

Two super-sweet foster poodles Toffee and Treacle

It was a mixed day of potentially happy news, meaning adoptions that could go ahead but aren't confirmed yet so I can't write about them.  I know only too well that even being sure doesn't guarantee anything, as demonstrated once again by the non-appearance of the little poodle that I already had a few nice homes lined up to meet.  The current family eventually wrote back to say they had changed their minds and would be keeping him, which is good news of course but more time wasted.  We have many other poodles which I hope potential adopters will consider, but when people have their mind set on one particular dog they rarely look at any other.  It seems strange to me to be so focused on a dog you have never met but that's the way it works.

There are 4 in this litter of black labalikes

Now of course my thoughts are with and about the puppies and Whiskers N Paws, and wondering how many I can manage to take over and how many I'll be coming back home with.  I hope that with the summer holidays we will be seeing more foster homes offered, and perhaps even this Sunday will be a lucky one in that respect.  There are seven new youngsters, four of which are the black labalikes (Inky, Nibs, Mole and Nero), and many others that are growing up too fast.

Wendy now 

Wendy was a totally gorgeous fluffy baby and I was so sure she would be adopted in a flash, which takes me back to the first paragraph and my comment about not taking anything for granted.  Wendy's now four moths old and still lovely, just a little less fluffy, and the bonus is that after having been in a few foster homes she's completely house trained in every way.

Maximus is the bigger brother

The two baby pups, Maximus (Maxi) and Minimus (Mini) that went straight to a foster home when I got them from AFCD this week are still too young to go to Whiskers N Paws, but just look how adorable they are.   They could be adopted as a pair at this age but for now they're very happy where they are.

If you are able to foster a puppy please contact Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com for details.

Play play play

Minimus just makes me smile

Fri 23rd June: Comings and goings

All of this litter are now adopted or in foster

It ended being a very busy day, in a good way happily, with puppy brothers Artie and Milo being taken to their respective new homes, and Ginger also being picked up by his adopters.

Ginger and his new parents

Little pom June also left the Homing Centre to start her new life, while another new dog took her place.  This was a black-and-white poodle girl, now called Minty, who is six years old and very sweet natured.  She's in need of a drastic haircut and will look very pretty once that's done.

Minty just needs a good haircut

Little pom June was adopted today

Tai Po dog Barbie has been in a potential home for a while now, the factor deciding formal adoption being whether she could settle in with the two resident Jack Russells.  Thanks to advice from our own HKDR trainer, Cactus, the paperwork was signed today and Barbie officially became Kuma.

Barbie/Kuma is now officially one of the family

Sandy on the boat back to Lamma

The only dark cloud on an otherwise sunny day was that Ginger's sister, Sandy, came back from her foster home, so she'll be at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday to try her luck again.  Sandy's a favourite of many, including myself and one of our guest trainers, Alice, who has already taught her a lot of the basic commands such as "sit" and "down".   At five months Sandy is still quite small but full of energy, and she reminds me very much of a miniature pinscher in both looks and personality.  If you want a companion dog who can accompany you anywhere, take a look at Sandy.

Some of the longer-term readers of my blog may remember a lovely boy called Arthur, who waited a long time to be adopted and we were a but worried about him ever being chosen.  Well sometimes the wait is worth the worry, as Arthur found a lovely family who are now returning to India, and taking him along of course.  Dogs are as much part of the family as everyone else and should never be left behind.  I'm sure Arthur will enjoy his new life, and I'm quite sure he will.

Arthur's things are all packed and ready

Sunday's set to be a busy day at Whiskers N Paws with all the new puppies that will be there, so come along early if you want to spend time with them before choosing.

Thurs 22nd June: A dog is for life

This litter of 4 black "labalikes" are just beautiful

It's just as well that I have some puppies moving out on Friday as there was a batch of new arrivals from AFCD in Sheung Shui today.  I had originally said I couldn't take them due to lack of space, then relented somewhat by saying it would be OK after the rain had stopped but I could only take the litter of four, and by yesterday had given in and agreed to accept all seven. I know that all of the rescue organisations are full and overwhelmed with the number of puppies being born and needing help, and it's a relentless treadmill of rescue, rehome and then rescue again.  It can wear you down until you are on the verge of breaking, but then you see these helpless faces,  pick yourself up and carry on.

Lara's safe now but she needs a home

That's why the case the other day of the ex-HKDR doglet, Lara, was so upsetting (and yes, I am following up on that with lawyers), because we all try so hard to make sure that the puppies we hand over will be going to good homes where they will be staying for the rest of their lives.

I get surrender requests all the time, dogs that have been adopted - or even bought - as puppies and who are no longer wanted for whatever reason.  Often it's because of relocation, either to another country or to a new apartment where pets aren't allowed, and sadly many times it's expats returning to their home country and not wanting to be burdened with the expense or inconvenience of a dog. I feel so sad for those pets, who have no understanding of anything except their beloved family for whom they would probably give their life if necessary, but are thrown away almost without a second thought.

So I wanted to share this particular story which I received today, and you will understand why when you read it.  Custer was adopted from Whiskers N Paws as a doglet a couple of years ago and Bella is his best friend.  Leaving them behind was not an option, and nor should it ever be.  I know it can be difficult or inconvenient, but these are temporary issues that can be overcome in almost all cases.

A whole new life has started for Custer and Bella

Custer on his adoption day

Hi Sally,

It's been a long time since we updated you on Custer's progress and since our last email, a lot has changed for all of us. We now live in Iceland!

We just wanted to send you an update as we picked up the dogs from quarantine about 2 weeks ago after they had spent a month in there. We have been planning our move for a couple of years now and our main priority was getting the dogs here. We knew it would be expensive so as a result we saved for 2 years and sold most of our possessions in order to fund their relocation. Worth every penny in our opinion! It hasn't been without it's stresses but we worked hard to make it happen. 

They flew out of Hong Kong to London for a night and then flew on to Iceland where they were picked up for quarantine. We were not able to visit them during their time there but received regular updates - they seemed ok but were understandably unsettled by the experience!

Since they have been out they have settled into life well. We are out most days with them in the countryside here. Their walks now consist of hiking up volcanoes and lava fields, through fields of Lupines and they are getting to know the resident Icelandic sheepdog that lives where we are. We've attached some photos for you of both of them - Custer and Bella enjoy the cooler (and cleaner) air here and crash out most days on the car journey home or when they get back.

We have lots more adventures planned here including introducing them to the joys of Icelandic camping (mainly being cold and wet for a few days). It's all very different from the days of seeing Custer every week at Whiskers and Paws and failing to find a home. We are so glad we adopted him and hope we can give him an exciting life now in Iceland. He is certainly one of the most unique looking dogs here and we think that he and Bella may in fact be the only Hong Kong village dogs to have ever moved here.

We will be sure to keep you updated. Whilst it was stressful and extremely costly to move them to Iceland, there was no way that we were leaving them behind. Our move was planned around getting them here first, us second. For anyone thinking about adopting an animal we hope they will take into account any potential relocation that may be on the cards - if anyone has any doubts as to whether it's worth moving dogs overseas, don't - it is worth every penny and every bit of worry!

All the best from Iceland,

James and Jo