Mon 12th Aug: The high cost of loving

Amy safely back home, and ADOPTED! 

There was some happy news later in the afternoon, followed by high drama for a short time, which resulted in an even happier ending.  It started when doglet Amy was picked up from Whiskers N Paws to begin a trial with the family's existing ex-HKDR dog, Pollen.  We'd been hoping that Amy would be the one chosen as she seemed perfect for the home, and it was certainly time she left.  After sharing the happy news between us we got another message saying that Amy had run off while her leash was being clipped on, and she was heading towards Happy Valley from Mid-levels. We'd only just posted the Lost Dog report on our HKDR Facebook page when we got another message saying Amy had been found, and had willingly gone to her foster parent when called.  As a result her adoption was confirmed on the spot, and Amy has become a fully-fledged family member with a promise that she will stay for ever.

Bea while still with us

I know this promise to be true, and while we hope the same applies to all adoptions it's sadly not the case every time.  I got this email which shocked and saddened me, because as you know I never forget the dogs, and in particular those that have lived with me.

"I adopted the foster dogs Sophie and Bea back in 2015 from you guys and we have had a loving relationship these last four years. Thank you for connecting us."  

The message continued to say that the couple were now leaving Hong Kong for Australia and so were looking for a new home for the dogs, as if it was the most natural and normal thing to do.  Given the "loving relationship" the adopters had had with these two dogs for the past four years, the casual attitude of leaving them behind stunned me.  I don't want to split Bea and Sophie up but finding homes for two dogs together isn't easy.

Sophie was always so soppy 

You might have been wondering why we have been urgently asking for foster homes when new small dogs and puppies come to us, and indeed need to ask again as more are due to arrive on Tuesday morning.  We kept hoping that the situation would quickly resolve itself, as these things usually do, but it's taken a long time and we're still not able to take the risk of introducing new dogs or puppies to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, and here's why.........

Over the past month or so we've been facing more than our normal share of problems, something which hasn't been made public even though we've been struggling on a daily basis in many different ways. The cause of everything that followed was a single puppy which we accepted from outside, and which subsequently turned out to be carrying not only one, but possibly two viruses. We believe it was this puppy that introduced a particularly deadly strain of the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) as well as Canine Influenza Virus, and as a result we have lost many puppies, and even adults who would normally be protected against such diseases.

Cooper was really still a puppy, just over a year old

By the time we realised what we were dealing with it was already too late to prevent the spread of the infection within the dogs and puppies that had already been exposed, and all we could do was to try our best to contain the spread by not allowing any contact with new incoming animals.

The cost in terms of emotional stress to the staff and volunteers has been huge, as puppies that were nursed and hand-fed ended up having to be euthanised despite all efforts. Our beautiful German shepherd Cooper was one of the adults, struck down by an acute pneumonia that quickly resulted in his death. There were many tears, and feelings of frustration as even our best wasn't good enough to save them.

On top of that was the financial cost of hospitalising so many, as well as carrying out expensive tests and treatments. Our vet bill for July was well over $400,000, double what it would normally be, and we anticipate a similar amount for August.

The end is almost in sight, thankfully, and we have to say a huge thank you to all of you who offered to foster dogs and puppies, as this has been vital to ensuring they stayed safe and ready for adoption. However the financial burden of the past two months is still very real, and we need to ask for your help once again.

If you are able to offer us help, please make a donation of any amount:

Email vetfund@hongkongdogrescue.com

\\ For bank transfer:

Bank: HSBC
Account Name: Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR)
Account Number: 502-423825-001