Weds 31st July: Typhoon Wipha comes to town

A reminder of Manghut when the sea washed up slabs of concrete

It was just as well I had no plans for today, it being a Wednesday so my day off, because there's no way I could have left home.  The T8 did indeed bring back memories of last year's Manghut, and even this morning (Thursday) when the HK Observatory have seen fit to reduce the signal to a T3, conditions are just as bad, if not worse.  It's the dogs that are feeling it most as all covers and shelters had to be removed,  so the horizontal rain, plus spray from the sea, is being thrown at them and leaving all igloos and dog houses full of water.  Of course the dogs could come inside, but being creatures of habit they'd rather sit in their usual spots getting drenched then do the sensible thing.

What a time to be out on the street

Even during such terrible weather dogs continue to be abandoned on the street, and one small victim was brought to our Ap Lei Chau Centre.  This shih tzu boy is obviously old, and without any microchip to indentify an owner. We'll see what condition he's in and then hopefully someone will be kind enough to give him space in their home.

I was busy replying to emails as usual, many of them asking if we were open during the typhoon.  I have said it many times before but yes, we are there every single day as the dogs need looking after and feeding, even if there's no actual dog walking going on.  If you are interested in adopting you can come any time, and even more so during bad weather as it's always good to see dogs leaving when it's like this.   In fact we did have some visitors to our Tai Po Homing Centre today, and hopefully that will mean good news coming soon.

Tues 30th July: More puppies to foster homes

I'm having horrible memories of last year's typhoon Manghut as we seem to be heading for the first T8 of this year, and hoping that I never have to experience another really bad one.  This time I think the worst thing that will happen is that I've had to cancel a grooming session for some of the inmates of the Lamma Home for Small Delinquents who were booked to go over to Ap Lei Chau, but I'm making preparations just in case.  For all dog walking volunteers, yes you can still come to walk the dogs in the rain and wind, in fact my Lamma dogs love it when the weather's like this.

On the way to a foster home

I took five young puppies from AFCD today in the anticipation that they would all have foster homes to go to,  and by the end of the day they had all gone to their various temporary families, so as always thank you to everyone for helping out.  We invariably have a need for foster homes so please do let Cindy know if you are able to take in any dogs, whether young or old, as many small adults need knee surgery or similar and even larger ones may need post-surgery recuperation.

Spot in his foster home

Coco is a small girl

All dogs and puppies that are in foster homes are still available for adoption, and that includes the gorgeous new black-and-white litter of four.  The smallest girls, Coco and Dora, will remain small-to-to medium adults, while the other two, Spot and Daisy will be medium sized.   If you're interested in adopting please complete the questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt) as a first step.

Also on our website are details of the upcoming fundraising event, Bohemian Pupsody, with details being updated on a day-to-day basis as well as ticket information.  If you would like to sponsor any prizes for auction, please do contact me directly as I'm the only one not currently on holiday.  My email is sallyandersen@hongkongdogrescue.com, and what we're most keen to be able to offer are personalised items such as dog portraits, photo sessions and so on.

Mon 29th July: Big and small, old and young

The new arrivals as they were dropped off

While my Lamma dog Mercy was making the journey to Acorn for surgery on the growth under her throat (it all went well), other dogs and puppies were heading to Ap Lei Chau courtesy of Kaz and her Freedom Rides (see the Facebook page).  The puppies must be from the same litter and are all smaller-sized black-and-white, but their faces are very different.  There's one very cute little girl, the smallest at under two kilos, another short-legged girl, then two slightly larger ones that seem to be older but can't be.  The male, now called Spot, has a face like a Jack Russell and the litter may very well be a mix of this breed judging by their size and shape.  The most remarkable feature of the largest of the girls is that she has a pronounced overbite, meaning the top side of her jaw protrudes well over the bottom.  You can't see it just from looking at her face on, but from the side it's very apparent.  It won't bother her, it's just something that's worth mentioning because we don't see it too often.

The smallest pup, Coco, probably has a home

Also arriving with the four puppies was a tiny little female dog no older than a year, and a poodle we estimated to be around five years.  All of these newcomers have found foster homes so meetings can be arranged via Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com. 

There are still more young puppies at AFCD so please also let Cindy know if you can offer temporary care to one or two, as for health and safety reasons we like to keep young puppies in real homes. 

Fred would love a home where he could go swimming

After the successful adoption of some of our senior dogs, I was thinking about one of the long-term Lamma residents basset/beagle-cross Fred, also known as Fat Fred.  He's been here so long I can't even remember, but I think it must have been when we moved from our Pokfulam kennels to Tai Po. Fred's very happy on Lamma, but it occurred to me that if he moved out there would be space for other small "Red Dogs" who would enjoy a quiet island life.  I sent his photo to the Ap Lei Chau team and Foster Coordinator Cindy, in case there might be anyone who would be interested, but when I got Fred's file out to check his age I was shocked to see he's almost fourteen now, and not the ten or eleven I had in my mind.  Time flies past and I'm always surprised to see how old the dogs are when I still think of them as being young adults.   I'd still like Fred to end his days in a real home, and if nothing else he might lose some weight if his diet and food could be properly monitored.

Noddy is almost 5 months now

Another Lamma resident, living next door to Fred in fact but at the opposite end of the age scale, is German shepherd pup Noddy, now approaching five months of age.  His foster parents sent me some photos yesterday, and while there has been interest in this gorgeous boy I'm waiting for the right home that can offer him the sort of life he's become used to.

Piggle (l) with Chilli, who became very sick and died

I almost forgot to mention that chihuahua Piggle was taken home today, and although we had at first wanted him to be adopted with his friend Chilli, she sadly died following a short (and unknown) illness.  Piggle will have a new friend now, another ex-HKDR chihuahua, so we're all very happy for him.

Sun 28th July: Photographers goodbye and hello

A parting shot of Pebble by Tatiana Yankovskaya

We said goodbye to one of our wonderful volunteer photographers today, as Tatiana Yankovskaya is leaving Hong Kong for Singapore and taking with her the professional skills which have been so evident in the many photo shoots she's done for HKDR in the past.  Thank you Tatiana, we wish you all the best, and here are the parting shots (please excuse the pun) from today:

Puppy Adoption Day 28 July 2019 - Part One 

Photographers needed please!

We're always looking for volunteers with photography skills to help out at adoption afternoons and fundraising events, and right now we're in need of professional photographers who are willing and able to be at the upcoming "Bohemian Pupsody" evening on Saturday 21st September at the Aberdeen Marina Club.  Videographers are also wanted so we can record the evening's action, especially as we anticipate there's going to be a lot going on that will really need sound and film.  You can email info@hongkongdogrescue.com or me at sallyandersen@hongkongdogrescue.com if you would like to be part of the HKDR volunteer photography team.

We had a new volunteer at Whiskers N Paws today and here's a second album of photos for you to look through, with thanks to MC Wong for a lovely set Puppy Adoption Day 28 July 2019 - Part Two

Phoenix (l) and Lewis by MC Wong

We had more older pups than young trying their luck today, and Pebble was the one who was taken home.  Now that July is almost over and the end of the summer holidays is in sight, we're expecting a lot more happy news as the "after the holidays" adopters return to Hong Kong.

Happy day for sweet Gyro

Gyro left our Tai Po Homing Centre today, while senior poodle Aggie was offered a retirement home by a very kind couple.   Aggie is a recent addition from AFCD Sheung Shui where she ended up at thirteen years of age, so we're all very happy that she didn't have to wait too long for a new family to love and take care of her.

Aggie ended up at AFCD at 13 years of age

The majority of our adopters are lovely, caring people who understand that adoption is a commitment to the life of the dog or puppy they have promised to take care of.  It's always more than disappointing when dogs are returned, especially when they were taken as puppies and are now hard-to-home adults.  While there are rare situations when it can't be helped, moving to a new home where dogs aren't allowed isn't one of them, and it was poor Josie who was the victim of this horrible family's selfishness today. 

Josie in 2017 at Whiskers N Paws

Josie came to us as one of a litter of young puppies, and I always remember her by this photo taken at Whiskers N Paws when she was running blindly round the terrace with a bowl blocking her eyes.  Now she is back at Tai Po having been abandoned once again, and I can only say it's just as well I wasn't there when she was dumped.

Sat 27th July: Good work at WeWork

As anticipated it was a very busy afternoon at WeWork in Central, and although all of the puppies except Judy were brought to the event by their foster parents, we still went back to the Homing Centre with empty crates.   Thank you to WeWork (LKF Tower) for sharing their space with us, and for all the volunteers who turned up to help.  Honestly nothing would be possible without such support, and I'm truly grateful.  Yvonne Chan was our volunteer photographer for the afternoon and you can take a look at the happy results here Puppy Adoption Day 27 July 2019 

Senior Arlo

Lucky Ellie was quickly chosen

The first adoption was puppy Ellie, who's been staying with one of our regular volunteers, followed by senior schnauzer Arlo, proving that it's never too late for a dog to find a new home.  Two more adult dogs were adopted, one-eyed Lucille and cuddlebug Collins, both of whom came from the same (unknown) place where most of our smaller dogs originate, and finally gorgeous older puppy Perkins.  I've been telling anyone who'd listen what a fantastic puppy Perkins is, how sweet, loving and easy, and once again he proved this to be right by behaving so well and happily playing with his friend of the moment, Spencer.  When he wanted to rest he'd throw himself on someone's lap, not caring if he knew them or not.

A lovely going home photo for Collins 

Lucille and her new mama

Returning to the Homing Centre were Judy, Spencer and Tonto, again from the same place as many other small dogs, and both young and lovely dogs.  Tina the terrier was the only one who really didn't enjoy the crowds and found herself a quiet shelf to rest on away from the noise, so she went off for a sleepover with our ex-General Manager and still-dedicated supporter Linda.  Tina would do well in a home without children, while the others don't care at all and were happy with the attention from the youngest to the oldest.

Tonto and Spencer are both great with young children 

Moses is going home, hooray!

Tina didn't like the crowds and noise

I want to be able to write about more Tai Po adoptions, but the larger adults obviously aren't suitable for many homes.   So I'm very happy to be able to say that one of our beautiful German shepherds found a home today, and that's Moses.  He was surrendered to AFCD because his ex-owner said he had continuous diarrhoea, but we didn't see that problem at all.  It's quite sad how so many dog owners really have no idea, or don't care enough to even try to find a solution when it could - and for Moses was - so simple.  Like another one of our German shepherds, Cooper, Moses was imported from Europe as a puppy, so you'd really think money would be no object when it came to helping your dog.  However as we have learned time and again, being a good dog family has nothing to do with how rich you are or how fancy your house is.  Love costs nothing, but it's the most important thing of all.

Fri 26th July: Life Saver Club photo mishap

It's not a great photo but Irwen's sponsor can see he's well and happy

I took a day off today as I'll be working over the weekend, and Saturday means a very early start to be able to get things done before heading out to WeWork in Central for the adoption event.  I did have one job I had to do, other than writing this blog and replying to emails, and that was to take photos of some of the dogs that are being sponsored via the Life Saver Club.  It's not as easy as it sounds when you have as many dogs as I have, so I waited until we were out on our walk and there wasn't a crowd. 

It worked well until, not paying attention, I walked straight into a spider's web and ended up with one of those huge spiders on my face which caused me to throw my phone in the air. Although it has a full cover, it flew open and the phone landed face down resulting in several cracks from top to bottom.  I had only recently replaced my previous phone for the same reason, so I was really annoyed with myself.  At least the Blackberry still works and I managed to get all the photos I needed, and if you're one of the sponsors who'll be receiving updates on your dog you'll know the story behind my efforts.  If you would like to sponsor any of our HKDR dogs please contact Ellen at lifesaver@hongkongdogrescue.com for details of the various sponsorship levels available. 

Volunteer Harryn was also taking photos at Ap Lei Chau today, and although there are lots to share I wanted to give big puppy Lewis a bit of attention.  He's a very lovely lab-alike who'll grow to be about the same size as a labrador, and you can meet him at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre any day.

Kara looks very happy to be at home with Barry

There was some very happy news about one of our Tai Po dogs who had gone for a trial with another ex-Tai Po doglet, Otto-now-Barry.  Now called Kara, our sweet rottweiler-cross has completed her apprenticeship as Barry's friend and she is now formally his sister.
Another dog we know will be going home on Saturday ahead of the WeWork event is Webster, a lovely little dog whose new family have already been several times to meet and get to know him.

If you're planning to come to our Saturday adoption event, or Whiskers N Paws on Sunday, I'll see you there.

Thurs 25th July: Hoping for a busy weekend

Adam (l) and Eve when they came to us in June

I'd been keeping a certain puppy secret because I knew it would start an avalanche of adoption enquiries, but baby Adam's photo was posted on our Facebook page anyway.   Adam and Eve came to us as two week-olds and went straight to a foster home, for which we've been very grateful, and now they're just old enough to be adopted, even if we would ideally prefer them to stay together for a bit longer. 

The thing about these very young puppies is that we really don't know how big they'll grow to be, so many potential adopters see a photo of an incredibly cute and small baby and want to adopt without thinking that this isn't how it will always be.   Even if Adam does stay relatively small,  that doesn't mean he and/or Eve won't need proper exercise, any more than short humans need less than tall people.  Our young and smaller-sized adult dogs are certainly just as active and energetic as their larger counterparts, and in fact it's the giant-sized breeds that are more likely to be couch potatoes.  Anyway, since the cat (pup) is already out of the bag, here are photos of Adam and Eve as they are now, looking quite different from each other apart from the colour.

Eve now

Adam now

Rocket's been with us for a year now

Saturday's WeWork Adoption Afternoon has already been quite successful in that a few foster homes have now "failed" and become adopters, and other than the poodle Archie mentioned yesterday there's also bichon pair Polly and Anna, plus another poodle Rocket who have now have their permanent residency status.

Puppies Benjamin and Cameron, who coincidentally looked very similar to Adam and Eve when they also came to us as very young babies, had their double adoption confirmed too, and it looks as though there will be others who won't be there on Saturday as they will already have been taken.

As a reminder we'll be at WeWork in Central from 1pm to 4pm, so if you're seriously considering adoption please come early so you can spend some time choosing, as well as talking to our volunteers. It would also be very helpful if adoption questionnaires could be completed in advance https://hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Please remember that you don't have to wait for any special adoption event to meet the dogs and puppies waiting for homes, because at HKDR every day is an adoption day.  Our Homing Centres are open from 10am to 6pm if you want to visit, and our Foster Cordinator Cindy can arrange meetings with those in foster homes. Email foster@hongkongdogrescue.com for any enquiries.

Another event that starting to heat up in terms of ticket sales is this year's big fundraiser "Bohemian Pupsody", an evening with Teddie Mercury, which is taking place on Saturday 21st September at the Aberdeen Marina Club.  I think the theme is clear from the title, and we're going to be enjoying lots of music as well as delicious food, drink, live and silent auctions and much more.  It's a fantastic way to support HKDR and our dogs with fun and great entertainment guaranteed.  For ticketing, sponsorship opportunities and other information please visit our website https://hongkongdogrescue.com/event/charityparty/

Weds 24th July: Joining the Failed Foster Club

Foster puppies Astrid and Zoe

We have our first WeWork adoption confirmed as one of our foster poodles is going to be staying where he is and joining the "Failed Foster Club".  Our foster parents aren't under any pressure to adopt, and in fact we need to have temporary homes available, but many can't bear to give up a dog or puppy they're grown to love and that's fine by us.  Apart from anything else we know there's not going to be any settling in problems so it's only a matter of paperwork to do, this time for Archie the poodle.  There are plenty of others in foster homes who'll be turning up on Saturday afternoon, and as always I have to say how grateful we are to all of our wonderful foster parents for offering temporary home care to the dogs and puppies.  It makes a huge difference in so many ways, and if you would like to help by taking in a little guest please email Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com for information.

Meet the foster dogs and puppies here

Foster puppy Pebble

Foster dog Lucille

I forgot to mention a dog I took from AFCD Pokfulam on Tuesday, a beautiful young female who'd been found running around in Tin Wan, close to Aberdeen.  I doubt she's even a year old yet judging by her gleaming white teeth, and although she was naturally quite nervous about being taken out and put into the van, she was very sweet and easy to handle.  Her name is now Kate and she's joined the many other hopefuls at our Tai Po Homing Centre.

Kate looks like a short-haired collie 

The days that I don't leave Lamma are the only time I can spare a couple of hours to do things for the dogs that live with me, whether it's giving Murphy a haircut or trying to clip nails, usually unsuccessfully.  Quite a few of "my" dogs are those who were too shy to be adopted as puppies, and although they've become almost normal in their behaviour these days there are still those who don't want to be touched.  It's fine by me as I don't have to feel guilty about not having the time to cuddle everyone, but when it comes to needing to do certain things which involve actual contact it can be a challenge.

I knew there was something going on with Mercy, one of the untouchables, because another dog, Chungy (who started off as being very timid but changed into a lovely boy) has been constantly licking Mercy's throat.  I thought there must have been a wound there although it was difficult for me to check, but after a good licking session today when the hair was wet and flattened I could see a nasty-looking growth.  It's known that some dogs can detect cancers, and it seems Chungy is one of them because he never had any contact with Mercy normally.  Now Mercy is booked for surgery on Monday and my challenge for the day will be trying to get her into a crate and over to Acorn.

Tues 23rd July: WeWork on Saturday

We're holding another adoption afternoon in Central this coming Saturday, and please make a note that the timing is slightly different from usual being 1pm to 4pm.  Also different from puppy afternoons is that we will have a mix of young and older, so there'll be a dog to suit whatever your preferences are.  Our Foster Coordinator, Cindy, has been busy rounding up those foster dogs that don't usually have the opportunity to be seen, like adorable little Betty who's been staying with her foster guardians for some time now. 

Will Saturday be Betty's special day?

Puppies Adam and Eve will also be there, obviously older than they are in this photo of when they first came to us as very young babies, and ready now for adoption.

Adam and Eve came to us a month ago looking like this

The previous WeWork event was really busy so we're prepared for the crowds this time, at least I think we are!

Sailor is 6 months old now and too big for the Sunday puppy area

Sundays are always Whiskers N Paws days, but with the high summer temperatures we're having to stay indoors rather than be outside on the terrace, so it's difficult to have the older puppies there.  Some, like sweet Perkins and Faith, are fine to mix with the youngsters because they're very gentle and play so nicely. but it's natural that most bigger puppies are too rough with the babies to be fair.   Amy and Dorothy stay full time at Whiskers N Paws, at least for now, but we have many other older puppies like Sailor and Tomlin who are having to stay at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre on Sundays.  You can visit these six-monthers any day of the week if you're looking for a puppy that's already fully vaccinated and ready to go for walks, as well as being past the puppy-biting stage.  We always recommend that families with young children choose a slightly older puppy for this reason, because puppy teeth are very sharp and hurt! 

We can help you choose the right dog or puppy for your home and family, and all you have to do is complete the Adoption Questionnaire on our website http://hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ and let us come up with suggestions.

Mon 22nd July: Family likenesses

Toppy as a baby many years ago

I was just looking through old photos trying to find one somebody had requested and I spotted this one of a brindle puppy called Toppy taken years ago, and was struck by how similar she is to our current Cider. 

Cider on Sunday

There's definitely a DNA connection between many Hong Kong dogs, which I suppose is inevitable given the small size of the territory, and this has only started to become watered down by the number of purebreeds that have (accidently I assume) mated with the local dogs and introduced breed mixes.   The traditional 'tong gau' or village dog is tan or black (with curled tail), short-haired and with a distinct muscular and lean shape.  We still get those types of course, but more and more have varied colouring, a long coat or short legs,  all of which have been introduced somewhere along the line.

Stan is unmistakable as a Stanley Barracks dog

Free-living dogs will stay in the same area and reproduce within the local population, and this results in a "breed" look peculiar to that area, for example the Stanley Barracks dogs.  Our beautiful Stan is one of several generations of lookalikes, also sharing the same personality which is passed down as much as looks are.

Ivory (l) and dopey-faced Tusk

Another strand of the Stanley Barracks family that has appeared in the past year or so is the large white dopey-faced look, which started with Ivory, then Tusk, and subsequently some lookalike pups.  While the younger generation have been adopted, the two older ones (still only a year old) are waiting for their chance, and like all of the Stanley Barracks dogs they have been around people since they were born and share the same gentle disposition.  Ivory was showing this off at recent school visit, where she was so relaxed that she even dozed while the children peered at her closed eyes.

The kids are checking out Ivory's closed eyes

If you are interested in adoption, please fill out a simple Adoption Questionnaire: http://hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

One family line we used to get in regularly were the "Whippeties" although they have since died out, at least in their more distinctive form.  One of those Whippeties has been staying at Tai Po for a long time, but today Oscar was adopted and became one of Terry's family, another lucky dog who will spend the rest of his days having a great life.  Thanks to long-term volunteer Terry and his supportive family for giving so many senior dogs the best possible retirement home, with lots of fun and love guaranteed.

Oscar is finally leaving Tai Po for good