Sat 11th Nov: One week to go

Online sales end this Sunday

Peak to Fong is now a week away so if you haven't started getting your sponsors for the walk down from the Peak to Lan Kwai Fong in Central, you have until next Sunday morning to raise the $800 which will earn you a free Disney T-shirt, or a pair if you hit the magic $1500 target.

The Sponsored Walk section of the event is just as important as the fun side of the day as this is where the fundraising comes into it, and as our biggest event of the year it's really important to us (and the dogs) that we don't forget this aspect of Peak to Fong.  Please use the form in your T-shirt packet, or download from our website, and for all events information you can check this Facebook link https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/posts/1731300626882662


It's also your last chance to buy the ticket/T-shirt online 📣Online sale of Peak to Fong T-shirts ends today (Sunday) at 23:59! Last chance to order your T-shirt and be part of this amazing event: http://hongkongdogrescue.com/p2f2017tick…/buy-ticket-online/

📣Peak to Fong狗狗同樂籌款日網上訂購T恤的截止時間是今晚23:59! 最後機會，立即訂購啦：http://hongkongdogrescue.com/p2f2017tick…/buy-ticket-online/

Grace has now had her adoption confirmed

In case you can't make Peak to Fong, or even if you do and are then motivated to go and adopt a puppy for yourself or your family, we will be at Whiskers N Paws as usual on Sunday 19th, 2pm to 5pm, just as we are every other Sunday (except typhoon days, of which there have been too many this year). Please note that due to the fact that it's getting dark earlier now, we must leave Whiskers N Paws at 5pm sharp, so please don't come just before closing to meet the puppies.  As much as I really want to find homes, if I don't leave on time it becomes harder and harder to get back to Lamma as the weather becomes colder.

Our Tai Po (6 Shek Lin Road)  and Ap Lei Chau (21 Main Street)  Homing Centres will remain open as usual from 10am to 6pm daily, but for Tai Po again please be aware that it's dark by 6pm and hard to see the dogs properly, so come early to make sure you catch the daylight.

Cactus, May and Yannie are still away from their normal work, participating in the Dog's Trust workshop where they are learning a lot about all aspects of dog rescue work, including training, kennel management and animal welfare.  As much as we try our best to provide a good environment for the Tai Po dogs in particular, there is obviously still a lot to learn.  None of us had any kennel experience when we started, so what we know is what we have found out for ourselves over the years and what the dogs have taught us.  Of course there are also financial and land restrictions in what we can achieve, as ideally we would have a lot more (flat) space and purpose-built kennels with air conditioning in the summer.  So we make the best of what we have, and are extremely grateful for too.

I think everyone who lives in Hong Kong is very much aware of the land shortage and the lack of tolerance for dogs in urban areas, so I was very upset to read that the Kennedy Town waterfront has been closed off without warning.  When homing our dogs we take into account the location and potential areas for exercise, and Kennedy Town has always been a good place for dogs to walk and socialise - until now. This post was by Paul Zimmerman:

Kennedy Town Waterfront Closed off 

The District Officer of the Central & Western District has closed off a popular waterfront in Kennedy Town. On Monday, the barriers went up. Dog walkers, cyclists, drone pilots, children on scooters, fishermen, lovers, book readers, and others lost their access. Without consultation and without a public tender, the area has been let to an event organization for the month of November, the best time and weather for people to enjoy the outdoors (在沒有公眾諮詢及公開招標的情況下，將海旁出租給活動承辦商).

The site won the Outstanding Public Space Awards in 2013, in the people-appropriated space category (碼頭曾於2013年獲得由市民開創的空間大獎).

The 7,500 square meter site consists of the former berths 1-3 of the Western District Public Cargo Working Area (西區公眾貨物裝卸區1-3號停泊位) which were released by the Marine Department in August 2016.

It is part of the Kennedy Town Waterfront which gained the nick-name ‘InstaPier’ for the thousands of images posted by professional and amateur photographers.

It is one of many waterfronts awaiting investment by the Government.

The closure is at odds with existing users and contradicts proposals by the District Council and community organisations to convert it into a waterfront park.

It also breaches promises made by the Development Bureau in January 2017 that “the future operator would need to design and construct a promenade of at least 10m at the edge of the Site and allow public access at all times so that the public could continue to have guaranteed free access to the harbourfront along the shoreline.”

The entire harbourfront is for the people. And not just a skinny promenade. It should not be privatised (海濱長廊的空間是屬於公眾的，不應被私有化) . Not for developers. Not for private gardens. Not for events. Not for the district officer.

(Above was first published in AM730 on 9 November 2017.)