Sat 31st March: Willa won't be back

I'm easily distracted from my computer work watching the dogs playing outside, and I love the way they enjoy chasing each other and wrestling before stopping to catch their breath.   It's the simplest enjoyment of life which can't really be replicated by a human companion, no matter how close the bond is, and I think every dog wants to have a friend.  I know there are some that don't like other dogs but if brought up together as puppies that rarely happens, and having a pair also takes the responsibility of round-the-clock entertainment away from the human family.

Willa earlier this month

Today's lucky puppy was Willa, who had been in foster with another adult dog, and the pair get on so well that Willa had her position made permanent today.  In the now-adopter's own words "She is truly a sweet sweet dog, her and our dog Theo absolutely adore each other, and we have become too fond of her to think of letting her go at all".

Still available and staying at Tai Po: Ebony-Inky (she has two names)

There will be more puppy hopefuls at Whiskers N Paws on Easter Sunday, also April Fool's Day, and I hope I'll be able to write about some adoptions tomorrow.  All of the puppies are now staying at our Homing Centres, with Lyra and Avery at Ap Lei Chau and the older ones at Tai Po.  Herbert, Willy and Cello are still in foster homes and you can meet them all any day of the week.  In fact many of the adoptions take place directly from foster to adopter, and it's often more helpful to meet the puppies in the environment they feel comfortable in.  Whiskers N Paws tends to be more of a playtime from the puppies' point of view. 

Avery and Lyra

Hannah 

Sweet boy Willy is in a foster home

Fri 30th March: A Good Friday for 2 lucky puppies

Linus the 6-month corgi was adopted today

There were two lucky puppies this Good Friday, one of them being Linus the six month-old corgi boy who was a breeder throwaway because of his eye problem.  The skin issues are standard for almost all breeder dogs, along with ear mites which are highly contagious, but as these are treatable it's not such a big deal. 

You might think that breeders would prefer to keep their money-making "crops" in a healthy condition, but we know from years of having seen these poor dogs that health doesn't play any part in this cruel and horrible business.  It's all about the dollars, nothing else.

Ollie at Whiskers N Paws earlier this month

Ollie was the second puppy to be adopted, and he has been lucky enough to be staying in a lovely foster home since we was a very young baby.  Ollie was one of a litter of eight I took from AFCD at the end of last year, and now there is just one still waiting, Cello.   She has also been in a foster home all of this time, and we see her regularly since her foster is one of our most dedicated Ap Lei Chau volunteers. 

Cello has different ears 

Ollie's adoption was a lovely surprise as it happened very quickly after I received the adoption questionnaire, put both parties in touch, and just a few hours later Ollie was on his way home.  (The adopter already had dogs from HKDR so there was no need to ask too many questions).

Cello and Ollie in January

Although a holiday today, two of our staff went to check the site for what will be a very special outdoor event that will take place in May, on Saturday 12th to be exact.  This is going to be a one-of-a-kind day for dogs and their humans which will take place in a location which is off-limits to the general public, and which will guarantee the best fun possible for everyone.  Details will be posted soon, but please save the date if you want to join.

Where could this amazing 12th May event venue be?

We have lot of exciting new ventures planned for this year to coincide with HKDR's 15th Anniversary and the move to a brand new Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre.  Keep reading my blog for updates and news, as well as checking our Hong Kong Dog Rescue Facebook page.

Thus 29th March: We are open over Easter and every day

Once again I was reminded that probably all of the Hong Kong mixed breeds are related in some way, or there are only a few distinct family lines.  I took two puppies out of AFCD today, and while I was hoping they would be able to be at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday they have tick fever so will have to get over that first.   They have started on the "Liquid Gold" rather than any of the other more convenient options, because we have found that not much seems to work these days other than the most expensive and messy option.

This is Inky Mark 1 (the new boy is called Tarmac)

Going back to the family lines, these two pups are identical to a recent one called Inky, although the new black pup is male (Tarmac) and the female (Trilby) is black-and-tan.  The shape, coat and face are exact copies of Inky, so although I don't have photos just yet I can show Inky (now adopted and called Zelda) and say this is how they look.

This Inky is now Zelda and a much-loved family member

Also, when I was at Acorn later with the two newbies, there was someone there with a puppy who I immediately recognised as being identical to one we had before.  In fact this case was even more remarkable because the pups weren't the standard mixed breed, so there is obviously a pair of adults that are busy reproducing these lookalike babies.

Every day when I'm searching through my photos to find the ones I need for my blog I see so many puppies and dogs that are exactly like others, and put together they would be indistinguishable.

Although this coming Sunday is not only the first day of April, so April Fool's Day, but it's also Easter Sunday.  However we will still be at Whiskers N Paws, albeit without the new pups and with fewer candidates than we normally have there.  The two tan-and-white baby sisters will be hoping to be chosen this time, as well as the older puppies whose numbers are slowly but surely reducing as they leave to start new lives.

Although I think most people know that we have a lot of small breeds coming through our doors at the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, we also have a lot of larger purebreeds at Tai Po.  Today we took in a new and young male Doberman to add to the two females already with us, and we still have two very sweet and beautiful pointer "puppies" (moving towards young adulthood now).  Then there is malamute Hercules, who is both handsome and with a very good nature, and it's possible we will be getting another one year-old malamute soon. 

Apparently this is a border collie

Someone also will be surrendering a young "border collie" bought from a pet shop.  If you are interested in any dogs, young or adult, large or small, please complete the adoption questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt) before asking about meeting the dogs, and yes, we are open every single day of the year, no exceptions.

The bull terrier is now in a foster home

The young bull terrier is also still waiting for a home even though there were quite a few enquiries when I first posted his details and photo.  I now have a video of him happily playing with other dogs for anyone who is serious about adopting, but please complete the questionnaire as a first step.  Not all homes are suitable to have any dog and not many homes would suit a bull terrier.

Weds 28th March: Funny Benji

Benji enjoying playtime at the park 

It's been pretty quiet this past week as the Easter break has already started for some, so I'm taking this opportunity to use a few of volunteer Harryn's lovely photos of Ap Lei Chau residents.  There are quite a few who unfortunately rarely, if ever, get seen or noticed other than by our more experienced volunteers who have built up relationships with the "red" dogs.  There really isn't a single dog that doesn't form a trusting relationship over time,  even little Benji who has some brain damage. 

He has always been a strange boy, right from the day when I took him from AFCD as the cutest puppy.  He never seemed to be quite right,  although it was hard to pinpoint what the problem was except that he had rather wild eyes, but he was so gorgeous that it was easy to overlook the other stuff like his penchant for randomly biting legs.  He was still a baby so it was never a serious issue, and over time he has become more normal although there is still something missing "up there", like his inability to relate to other dogs (or most people).  Harryn posted these photos taken the other day in the dog park because she was so pleased to see Benji, now a year old, happily playing with another dog.  This behaviour would normally be taken for granted but it's a milestone for Benji, who has never really understood the concept of give and take when interacting.   Of course we would love to find Benji a home, but it would need to be a very special one for our "special needs" boy.

Lovely photos by Harryn 

Also staying at the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, one of the two remaining small puppies found a comfortable auntie in bichon Caroline.   We seem to have quite a collection of little white dogs at the moment, all of them very sweet, but overlooked as they aren't puppies or even youngsters.

Visit us any day between 10am and 6pm if you are interested in adopting either a puppy (there will be two new ones on Thursday) or one of our beautiful small oldies.

Tues 27th March: Ticks, a never-ending problem

An adult tick

The weather is warming up as we move towards April, and I've seen quite a lot of discussion about tick prevention and whether the available products are safe to use, or if they're too toxic.  Of course everyone wants to keep their pets safe and to avoid anything that could be harmful, but in my opinion and experience there are far worse things than tick prevention drops or collars, including tick fever itself. 

Naomi's troubles started last December when her face swelled up

One of my Lamma dogs, Naomi, is currently being treated for a very stubborn case of tick fever (babesia) and it's been a very long process which is only just now beginning to work.  Many other dog owners I know or talk to at Acorn have experienced the same, and I consider the medicines that are used to beat the disease, as well as tick fever itself,  to be far more damaging in the long term than the low toxicity of the prevention products.  I never saw a tick on Naomi,  just as many tick fever-infected dog owners say the same, so it's a mystery how they come to have tick fever in the first place.  Over the many years of rescuing dogs there have been some summers, especially in the beginning, when the ticks were everywhere, but nowadays I have got the problem under control and very rarely see any on the dogs.  Still, from time to time one of the dogs gets sick and I find out it's tick fever.

In my situation I have many dogs to watch and check for ticks, but if you have only one or two (or a few) then it's easier to do a manual check on a daily basis, especially after walks.  However you do have to run your fingers over the skin and feel for the very small baby ticks that are attached, or if you're lucky you will see them running like little brown spiders in the coat before they get that far.   Natural tick repellents will deter the ticks but won't kill them, and as much as I dislike killing anything I make an exception for ticks (and mosquitoes etc).  Mosquitoes carry heartworm, and almost every adult dog that we take in from the New Territories is infected.  You have to weigh up the risks and chances of your dog being bitten by a carrier mosquito against the low level of toxicity in standard heartworm prevention products and make your choice.    Again it's my personal opinion, but I would say that feeding a good daily diet is going to have far more of an impact on your dog's long-term health than using tick and heartworm prevention.

Yes we'll be there on Easter Sunday

It's been quiet on the adoption side in the run-up to the long Easter weekend, but of course we are open at both Homing Centres every single day of the year regardless of any Public Holidays, or the weather.  Our Whiskers N Paws puppy afternoon will also take place as usual this coming Easter Sunday, though with fewer candidates as the Tai Po puppies will stay where they are so potential adopters can meet them there.   I'll be picking up a couple of new puppies from AFCD before the weekend but I have no idea of their health or condition and if they're adoption-ready, so we'll see.

Mon 26th March: Fred needs a home

Fred at the front 

I took one of our long-termers for a health check today, not because he is sick but because I was thinking it was time he went to a home after so many years with us, since our Pokfulam days in fact.  Fred is a lovely beagle-basset hound cross, not a small dog but with short legs, and in his youth he was quite active and typically stubborn.  I was quite shocked myself to find that he's now almost twelve years old, and he has mellowed into a very sweet boy who loves attention and the easy life.  He's currently staying with the other small dogs on Lamma, and he's so happy and easygoing that I just thought it was time he moved to a real retirement home.  It's not only for his sake but also because by Fred moving out another "red" dog can move in from the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre and also benefit from the stress-free environment of Lamma, and begin the rehabilitation that has worked so well for other dogs who have since gone on to be adopted.   If you would like to meet Fred with a view to fostering or adopting, please email Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com.

The planning and design for the new Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre has started and we are trying to make the most of the space available, both for the dogs and the humans who will be working there.  The office will now be incorporated into the same building as the Homing Centre, with dogs downstairs and the human team upstairs, allowing for easy crossover when extra hands are needed with the dogs.  The packing and moving of equipment and all of the merchandise that is store at the current place is going to be a massive undertaking so we will soon be calling for volunteers to help.

Sun 25th March: Another sunny day at Whiskers N Paws

It was another beautiful day for puppy playtime on the terrace at Whiskers N Paws, as shown by volunteer photographer Ryan Kam's lovely set Puppy Adoption Day 25 March 2018 

Sweet Figgy was adopted today

There were three lucky puppies, one baby and two older, although as Nando's adoption was last minute we don't have a photo record.  The other two were Figgy and Piper,who could have been adopted a few times over.

Nando 

Little Piper was today's most popular puppy

  

Quite a few of the puppies are now staying at Tai Po Homing Centre, including one who went straight there from AFCD.  His name is Chowder and he has quite a funny story as he was confiscated at the border when someone was trying to smuggle him over  as a very young baby puppy.  He had been sold to them as a labrador pup, which just goes to show how gullible buyers can be.  In fact not only is Chowder as far from a labrador as it's possible to be, we're pretty sure he's not going to be any bigger than medium sized as an adult given his current build and looks, not to mention the typical small-dog underbite.  If you are interested in meeting Chowder please complete the adoption questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt) before heading over to Tai Po.     Other puppies you can meet there are Hanna and Sidney, Ebony-Inky, Monty and Zelda.

Chowder is an older puppy but we're pretty sure he'll stay medium sized

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Sat 24th March: Lucky in-and-outs

Linus is only 6 months old

I only realised today that next weekend is Easter after several potential adopters said they would be going away for the long weekend and would only take a dog when they returned.  For me every day is pretty much the same and holidays don't exist, so I don't take much notice of these things.  There was a nice enquiry about the new corgi puppy Linus, and I assumed he'd be gone by the end of the day but no, it was an after-Easter situation.   I explained we don't hold dogs if another good home comes along who can adopt immediately. but at least I know there is a back-up should Linus still be with us.

Allie is the black poodle

The other new arrivals were luckier in that their adopters were staying in Hong Kong over the holiday, or at least had someone in the home would would be there, and all three poodles were taken.  Poppy, the little one with the broken leg, black girl Allie and cream-coloured Harper.  How easy life would be if all dogs found homes so quickly.

Harper was adopted today

Cactus and her husband went to pick up Nancy from Acorn following her double knee surgery, and now the poor girl is bandaged from paw to hip on both sides.  Please can someone take her home until she can have the dressing removed?  She is such a sweet girl and will be no trouble.

Poor Nancy and her bandaged legs

There was a good crowd again at Heal for the puppy afternoon, with volunteer Elena Mathew taking photographs    Puppy Adoption Day 24 March 2018 — at HEAL Animal Wellness and Rehabilitation  The babies were the main attraction of course, and one of them - the only boy - went home for a trial with the two resident cats.   In this situation of introducing cats and dogs, or a puppy, it's inevitable the cats that are the problem and they resent the intruders, but given time it almost always works out.

In fact time is the key to almost all successful adoptions, and it's always disheartening when dogs are returned after as little as a day with "it's not working out".  Nothing really works after just a day, or even a few days, and it can take a lot longer for a dog to really settle.

Fri 23rd March: The latest collection

This was poor Turbo when he first came to us, and I can't wait to see new photos

It was good timing that little ex-breeder poodle Santa and chihuahua Turbo just had their adoptions confirmed, as we took in four new small dogs and one large one today. 

Two of the small dogs are poodles from the same breeder that the previous group came from, and they are also larger than the usual toy size but not as big as a standard.   Teegan, who is now Cinder, was one of the earlier poodles from this breeder and they are all very sweet dogs.

Also a 3 year-old girl 

I haven't thought of names yet, but this girl is 3 years old

Teegan is now Cinder

Another two new arrivals, from another breeder, were throwaways for different reasons.  The poodle, a very small girl, had a broken front leg which was never set so is now floppy, but Dr Tony had a look and said he can fix it.  This poor dog is only two years old, and I commented to the vet she really had a "lucky break" (getting away from the breeder).

Dr Tony will fix this 2 year-old girl's leg next week

The other dog from this same place is a six month-old corgi puppy, a boy, who has demodex (mites) causing hair loss, but that's a minor problem which is easily treated.  The more serious issue and the reason for him escaping is that he has something wrong with his corneas, which I was told is untreatable.  He can still see but not clearly, and the condition could worsen.  This is a really sweet puppy though, and I'm sure someone will fall in love and offer him a home.

6 month corgi boy

The dog I took from AFCD was a fishing boat dog, a large boy who looks something like a labrador.  He had no license of course, so his age is unknown but it would be around eight years or so.  He's a sweet dog who was already playing while waiting for his turn to see the vet, and I have no idea how he ended up being surrendered to AFCD.   I hope someone gives him a chance of a new home and life, but with over four hundred dogs at Tai Po it's really a matter of luck. 

Hercules starts his 6-week rest period after treatment for heartworm

Even our beautiful malamute Hercules is still waiting, and he is a breed, young and incredibly sweet natured.  He finished his heartworm treatment today so he has to rest for six weeks, but after that he'll be fine. 

Nancy had surgery on both knees today

Office dog Nancy, a returned-as-adult puppy, had surgery on both of her knees today after we had failed to find her a foster home to go to for her recovery.  It wasn't fair on her to wait any longer so we went ahead, completely trusting Dr Tony's skills and that she'll be fine.  Still, if anyone can take in this really lovely girl to make sure she doesn't jump around too much with her best friend Lara, we would really appreciate it.  Please email Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com if you can help, thank you.

As a reminder we have two puppy afternoons this weekend, Saturday 1pm to 4pm at Heal, 10 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun, and as always 2pm to 5pm at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday.

The babies will be at Heal On Saturday and at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday

Thurs 22nd March: On the move at last!

Our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre opening party in 2011

I can finally announce that our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre will be moving, not too far away and closer to the dog park, so we have a big task ahead with sorting, packing, renovating and finally moving both the dogs and the office to the new site.   I was at the lawyer's office today signing the lease, and afterwards Iris, Cactus and Ka Yan joined me at Ikea to choose some furniture, which after year of experience of chewed corners will all be metal.   We are hoping for volunteers to help with the move, as well as sponsors to cover the cost of the furnishings and renovation, as this time we want to make sure it's as good as we can make it, and also long-lasting.

There are other considerations too, such as changing the address on all of our cards and literature, so it's going to be quite tedious and a lot of hard work, but we all agree that the new place is ideal in terms of location, as well as uniting the office and the Homing Centre.

After a relatively quiet time in terms of small dogs coming in to our Homing Centre, we're expecting two poodles from the same home breeder as the previous group, as well as another young ex-breeder poodle and a six month-old corgi who already has cataracts.  We should be getting all of these dogs on Friday and will try to arrange for the corgi pup to see an eye specialist in the hope that something can be done surgically to help.

Heal is the blue building at 10 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun

This coming weekend we have two puppy adoption afternoons, with Heal in Second Street on Saturday and Whiskers N Paws on Sunday, so please come to either (or both) to meet the hopefuls.  I'm really a few of the slightly older puppies will be chosen as it's very upsetting for all of us to have to send these youngsters to Tai Po when they have been in foster homes since they were tiny babies.  Emu was the returnee last Sunday, and while they are loved by all the volunteers and have puppy fun together, it's not the same as being in a real home.

Emu is one of a family of black-and-tans, now 4 months old.

Still coming back as a puppy is better than being returned as an adult, and we took back yet another dog today who had been promised a forever home as a baby.  Ironically, just like Candy who was the last puppy-now-adult returned, and poor Chubba who we understand was sent to her death by her callous adopter, at the time of the adoption we had initially rejected the application only to be persuaded by the adopters that they were really good people who would take good care of the puppies for their whole lives.   It really proves that gut feeling and intuition is worth paying attention to.

Poor Rocco is a very sweet boy, just 1 year old

Baby Rocco

Weds 21st March: Waiting for good news

I'm tempted to jump a day ahead and talk about what's happening on Thursday, but past experiences of jinxing what I thought was a certainty is holding me back so you'll have to wait until tomorrow, sorry.  I will give a hint that it's related to Ap Lei Chau and that we will be needing extra volunteers and sponsors too, but I will be able to fill in all the details very soon.

I got some earlier-than-expected good news about Connor, the small dog whose leg lump was revealed during grooming on Tuesday, as the results came back showing that it was just fat, not a cancerous tumour.   These lipomas are harmless, but as it's really quite big I've opted to have it removed so that will be done next week.

I think Kobe is ready for a real home now

Also following poodle Kobe's good behaviour during his haircut, I'm wondering if he is ready to go to a real home.  I know that before he was surrendered to AFCD he was caged all the time, so now he gets very stressed and angry if he is confined in a crate (for travel).   He would need an adults-only home with people who understand the importance of allowing a dog to have space and time, but on Lamma where Kobe is now staying he has changed from a traumatised and very scared boy to a relaxed and happy one.  He really loves going for walks, something that many would-be adopters don't think is really necessary for small dogs, and I'm sure if he had the opportunity to get out and socialise and have plenty of outdoor exercise he would be fine.  Kobe is five years old, and if you think you could offer him a home please complete the adoption questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt).   The same questionnaire obviously applies to all adoption enquiries.

Although not organised by us, all proceeds from this fun and action-packed event will be donated to HKDR so please go along to support.  This particular race is for pugs and dachshunds only, but there will be future events for other breeds, including our favourite mutts.  Sign up and have fun!

HK DOGGIE DASH - Pug VS. Weiner 🐾🐾💨💨]

Yes….you read that right: Hong Kong’s first Doggie Dash has landed, with Pugs & Dachshunds squaring off for the title. Join us in Tai On Terrace in Sheung Wan for an afternoon of canine hijinks, all in support of Hong Kong Dog Rescue.

Make no mistake…these are actual races. We’ll pit pug v pug and sausage v sausage across heats and finals. Depending on the quality of the competition, there’s potential for a Grand Exhibition Race of Pug v Dachshund too!

There’s a maximum of 50 Pugs and 50 Dachshunds and registration is vital to secure your place. Spectators are welcome and can attend for free. The racing fee for each dog is $130 (all proceeds go to HKDR to support our work of saving abandoned dogs and puppies).

Race registration is between 12.30 – 1.30, with races starting from 2pm.

Please sign up now via this link:
https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSfWBhO-7fA5aOn4NG…/viewform

Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR) added 9 new photos to the album Educational Talk - HKUCA Primary School (.

Look at Deebee and Edward! 

Huge thanks to Volunteer Teacher Marvin and his HKDR-adopted dogs, Deebee and Edward, for doing a school talk at HKUCA Primary School yesterday. Our Project Officer, "Little" Eva, tagged along to assist too. We're always happy for any opportunity to educate children about responsible ownership and dog adoption. Deebee and Edward made the best 4-legged ambassadors and were very popular with the children.

If you would like an HKDR school visit, please email eva.loo@hongkongdogrescue.com, but please note that we don't have the staff or facilities to entertain individual students at either of our Homing Centres.  We receive many requests from students asking for interviews and to walk the dogs, but all volunteers must be 18+ and that also applies to all those wanting help with school projects.