It's been a break from the usual routine this week and I haven't been to AFCD once, although staying in touch to see if there was any urgent need to pick up dogs or puppies. On Monday we'll be taking in a very unusual pair of puppies, and by that I mean a breed who more often comes to us as adults who have been abandoned when their owners realise how much time and work is involved. I'm talking about huskies, and the two boys coming are just two months old and will be called Oslo and Helsinki. We will obviously be selective in re-homing knowing that most Hong Kong homes aren't suitable for these lovely but demanding dogs, which is why one year-old Pilot is still with us at Tai Po despite the many applications we had to adopt him.
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| Stan is an exceptional dog, just a year old |
I have to mention another dog who's still with us but should really be in a home by now, and that's Stan, the ex-Stanley Barracks dog. Stan has become incredibly attached to our driver Ming, and will follow him everywhere. After Stan's visit to Acorn for a vaccination today, Ming was dropping crates and puppies off at the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre while Stan wouldn't let him out of sight. I had to hold Stan's leash so he could go back and forth from the van to the Centre behind Ming, and then stand and wait, head tilted for the sound of Ming's footsteps while he was inside. This is a very special dog who will be a devoted friend and companion if he is given the chance. We all love him and can't wait for the day he's chosen, even though Ming will miss his friend and Stan will pine for Ming for a while.
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| Tiffany and sister Campari as puppies at Whiskers N Paws |
I had a visit to my Lamma home in the morning - or rather the bay, since my house is off-limits to visitors - to do an interview, during which a few of the dogs came by to say hello. The weather was perfect and the setting ideal, and I was prompted to comment that these dogs have the best possible life being free to do as they please. This select group of a few spend the afternoon on the beach, swimming or just hanging out, and their lives are as close to natural as it's possible to be. By nature most dogs are easygoing, as Tiffany and Campari are, and it's the freedom to choose which makes them that way. If they feel uncomfortable with strangers they just stay away, and if they want to they come to see what's going on. Tiffany loves everyone and is happy to greet all visitors, while sister Campari is very sweet but prefers to watch from a distance. Most pet dogs are forced to adjust their natural behaviour to fit in with humans, and that includes being washed and groomed, spending long hours alone and being walked on a leash. I won't even get started on the "babyfication" of small dogs who even have their hair dyed, are dressed up like children and pushed around in buggies. It's just amazing how tolerant dogs are of the way they're treated, and how willing to adapt to our crazy lives they are.
Later in the day I went to the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, and was reminded to mention that we still have boxes of wine for sale at the ridiculously low price of $50 a bottle or $500 for a case of twelve. Please take a look when you visit if you like a glass or two of wine in the evening, as every bottle bought is a donation to HKDR and the dogs.
I've raided volunteer Harryn's Facebook page for photos of the small dogs and puppies that are staying at the Homing Centre, many of which will be going to the WeWork adption event on Saturday. The poodle shown in Google, a very sweet girl who was surrendered to us today and she'll need her paperwork sorted before she can go to a new home, but she's available to meet at the Homing Centre if you would like to. Poodle Pretzel is also there (wearing the jacket), although he's not suitable for a home with children.
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