Sun 14th July: Whiskers N Patch afternoon

Julia is going to be medium-sized and has lots of energy

We had an unexpectedly busy afternoon at Whiskers N Paws but almost everyone had eyes for only one puppy, pretty Patch.  Patch and his brother Wiki had been at the previous Sunday afternoon session and it was their photos that drew everyone to meet them today, although Wiki stayed at home due to having the cough that's making the rounds at the moment.  The thing is that although being very lovely, Patch is quite a timid puppy and that means we have to be selective about finding the right home because it will take a while for him to settle and inexperienced adopters could make things worse, not better.   So there were quite a few disappointments when we had to say sorry, please choose another puppy, and it's again sad that with so many happy and beautiful characters available it's the pretty one that was most peoples' choice.  Patch did find a suitable home so he's off the available list,  and Wiki has a waiting list for when he's better. 

Puppies have different personalities and energy levels, just like humans, and it's really important that the dog and adoptive family are a good match.  For example, Judy is a very cute and fluffy girl who is also a ball of energy, so she needs a home that wants a lively companion.  Julia is also a pretty girl who plays non-stop, but she's very sweet and will be a medium-sized adult.  Having been in a foster home Julia is very used to apartment life and being part of a family, so that's a huge bonus.  Lewis is a lab-alike who's going to grow into a big adult, but he's calm and quiet. Please do ask us to help you find the right personality and temperament for your home, and not choose a puppy on the way he or she looks.  It's so important to get it right and that's what we're here for.

Judy would love a home with another dog and to have lots of playtime

Bambi Yau was the volunteer photographer for the afternoon and she did a fantastic job which you can take a look at here  Puppy Adoption Day 14 July 2019

Sahara was adopted today 

Fortunately not everyone wanted Patch, and one family who came to see older puppy Sadie (another lovely and easy girl) ended up adopting my recommendation of Sahara, probably the sweetest of all puppies ever.   Sahara was one of the recent Stanley Barracks intake, and all of the dogs that come from there have obviously been treated very well and they have lovely temperaments.

Little Cat has found her forever family at last

It was also busy at both of our Homing Centres (and it's strange how this happens without any obvious reason) resulting in little Cat, mother of the Kitten Litter, being adopted finally.  When she first came to us she was such a scared dog, and she had TVT (an infectious venereal tumour) which meant she had to be kept separated from other dogs.  That didn't help her behaviour, but after the chemotherapy treatments and her recovery, Cat started to open up and enjoy life.  Once her tail went up I could see she was very like a shiba inu, and with a sweet and happy nature.

Tiny-now-Harvey, the gentle giant

I'm looking forward to being able to share good news from Tai Po about several dogs who could/might be leaving soon, but I can confirm that Great Dane Tiny has found his new and forever home, and I can also guarantee that this is a Great Home (because I know the adopter).

With so much rain this year leptospirosis is back, and I've been getting reports of dogs being infected and even dying from all areas.  Lepto, as it's commonly called, is transmitted via rat urine, and while it usually stays underground the heavy rain has brought the infected water to the surface so it's really important that you keep dogs away from fresh water catchments, and even streams that come down from the Peak for example.  In my experience the vaccinations aren't 100% effective because like flu there are so many strains, and the best way to avoid your dog getting sick with this awful disease (which also affects humans) is to stay away from water.  Take fresh drinking water for your dogs when you walk, and stick to the sea for swimming.


To end with some good news about two pet shop chains closing their puppy-selling activities, and I hope we can see this happening right across Hong Kong before too long https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3018384/pet-shop-chains-stop-selling-animals-highlight-cruelty-hong-kong-pet?fbclid=IwAR1FL8TZcBGiPNO19YJQw_KnVrkICmrl6cWKqJAHirOsZKW5PlKEmr6rA4M