Sat 30th Nov: Getting ready

The end of November is here and the beginning of the last month of 2019, with December 1st being Pulse to Fun day as well as the regular Whiskers N Paws puppy afternoon, 2pm to 5pm as always. 

Our fundraising event starts 11am outside the main entrance of the pulse in Repulse Bay with a short kick-off speech, then we will walk along the seafront towards Deep Water Bay beach before returning to the pulse where there will be over 20 stalls run by sponsors inside the mall.

The weather's perfect for the waterfront walk

Let your dogs enjoy a swim in the rooftop pool

The roof of the pulse will also be open for our event, with a dog swimming pool and a large lawn to run around on. There will also be several activities taking place on the roof, including a Hydrotherapy Workshop by HEAL (12:45pm -1:45pm), Dog Gelato Eating Competition plus cheque presentation by Gino's Gelato (2:00pm - 2:30pm) and Doga by tutor Tina C. (15:00pm - 15:45pm).

Please note once again that yes, you do need to buy a ticket/T-shirt to enjoy these activities, and remember that the T-shirt can be worn over and over again as we very deliberately omitted to include a date, event title or a sponsor, so it's not an item that will look out of place at any time of the year.

We had so many enquiries about the senior golden retriever lady Mabel, but just as happened with Chase the poodle these came to nothing today.  Chase has a deadline which is coming up soon when his family are leaving Hong Kong, and this is a genuine case of having to re-home their dog, not wanting to.   Can I ask a favour, and that is that only those who can take a dog immediately and who are really interested and intending to adopt ask about both Mabel and Chase. 

Mabel

There's an adoption questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/  which needs to be completed as a first step in any adoption, puppy or adult, so please fill out the form before asking for more details.

Every Sunday at 10/F Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau

Chase 

Fri 29th Nov: Aren't we lucky?

It's on Sunday and it's going to be great! 

Aren't we lucky?  The weather is set to be perfect for Sunday's big event just before a big temperature drop, and there's been a surge in ticket sales as the prospect of an amazing sunny day of family fun beckons.   The waterfront walk from Repulse Bay to Deepwater Bay and back is easy enough for everyone and is a beautiful route, and that's followed by a party at the pulse, including lots of opportunities to buy, eat and play.   Last-minute tickets are available at either of our Homing Centres, Whiskers N Paws or Dogotel, and please remember your T-shirts are your tickets so you need to wear them.

A lot of people are asking if everyone attending has to buy a ticket (T-shirt) and the answer is yes, one T-shirt doesn't cover the whole family.   Please bear in mind that this is an important fundraising event for us and we have already had to cut down on the size and number of participants with the move away from the traditional Peak to Fong venue, so it's really important to us that we raise as much as possible to help cover the huge monthly costs of caring for over six hundred dogs.  Although we do get some food donations the bulk of the dog food we need has to be bought, and vet costs are extremely high too as well as other recurring expenses.   Also worth remembering is the fact that your T-shirt can be worn at any time in the future plus there's a free goodie bag included too, so the $250 entry price is a bargain!

Mabel is a young 12 year-old

There's been a heartwarming response to the photo I posted of the twelve year-old golden retriever girl, Mabel, so I really hope at least one of the enquiries about her will result in a home.  Thank you to everyone who asked about her, and please remember we have many other very sweet and beautiful seniors who are also in need of a soft bed and a warm home.

The old pom was dropped at the side door in his cage

One of those was delivered to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre today, sneakily dropped off at the side entrance by a couple who then ran away when our staff member Zing spotted what had happened.  According to the van driver who had dropped the pair and the pom at Ap Lei Chau they had started their journey in Ma On Shan, but as the dog had no microchip there's no way of tracing the owners.  We sent the pom straight to Acorn where he was found to have no teeth left and the "penis entrapped in matted fur and large amounts of pus".  In such cases it's probably better for the dog that he was abandoned because he's obviously never seen a vet or been properly looked after.  It's not enough just to love a pet, there are certain obligations of routine care, which includes exercise, but we already know that many puppies are bought simply to satisfy a desire to have a cuddly "toy" at home.

Thurs 28th Nov: New places, different lives

There's acres of space for Buzzy and Korma to run now

It seems that there really is a mini exodus taking place in Hong Kong, with news reaching me of many dog owners leaving and thankfully taking all family members along with them.  I'm talking about the dogs (and cats) of course, because they are as much family as any two-legged members, and other than genuine emergency situations there can be no excuse for abandoning your loyal and faithful companions, especially older ones.  Buzzy and Korma, shown in the photo, are two very lucky dogs who are now in he UK, especially as Korma's sister Mango (they were a Curry Litter) is still waiting at Tai Po for someone to give her a chance.

It always seems so unfair when one out of a litter is left over (Mango) 

I went to AFCD to take out another one of the cruelty case dogs, this one more nervous than the previous three already at our Tai Po Homing Centre.  She has large scars on her head, as do some other very similar-looking dogs who are also at the Pokfulam Centre.  I have a horrible image in my mind of the three or four dogs literally fighting for their lives as they were slowly starving to death, and whether or not that's the case it seems strange that they all have such scars.

I had already planned to take this particular dog out but there was another surrendered dog waiting when I got to AFCD, a very sweet and friendly golden retriever girl, twelve years old.  For her age she seems to be in good health and was delighted to be taken out of her kennel of course.  I really can't imagine taking my old dog to AFCD, knowing that it would probably mean death at the hands of strangers.  How anyone could do that is beyond me, although I shouldn't be surprised after we had yet another surrender request for one of our ex-HKDR dogs today.  If you can give a home to Mabel, the new name for the golden retriever, please complete the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

It should still be warm enough for dogs to swim 

Let me move on to happier things, like Sunday's event which is going to be a really great day with lots of dogs and their people coming along to enjoy the fun.

It's too late now for us to be able to send the ticket/T-shirts by mail, but you can still buy online and pick up at the event.  Other venues that have the T-shirts available are listed here https://hongkongdogrescue.com/p2f2019/ticket-information/.  Please note that the T-shirts are your entry tickets and only those wearing them will be admitted as guests for the event.

There's plenty of space for the dogs to enjoy playing 

Weds 27th Nov: Adoption is for life

An innocent victim who's about to lose her home and family

What a miserable day it was today apart from the glorious weather, with not only one but two surrender requests, each for two dogs. I find it very hard to stay upbeat as the past few months have been very difficult in many respects, and I know that applies to most of Hong Kong, but I spent much of my "day off" dealing with these cases. 

There really seems to be a common assumption that adoption is a temporary situation, lasting until it's no longer convenient, but I have to say that we are really at capacity now at Tai Po and there can be no more accepting of peoples' throwaway responsibilities.  "I am full of kindness towards people and animals" today's would-be dumper asserted, upset that she wasn't welcomed with open arms.  That made me laugh anyway.

The "Seasons Litter" are small-sized and perfect in every way

And seriously no, we don't have any labrador, golden retriever, beagle, shiba inu or any named breed puppies, but we do have the most beautiful, gorgeous, happy and waggy-tailed youngsters, all sizes and  variety of colours.  There are lots of photos to look through from last Sunday's puppy afternoon at Whiskers N Paws and here's the final album from the day

Puppy Adoption Day 24 November 2019 - Part 6     ( thanks to volunteer photographer Reeki Hsu)

Cactus with one of the puppies at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre

Apart from the sunny personalities and beautiful looks of the dogs and puppies waiting for homes, each adoption comes with the back-up and training support of Cactus Mok, whose years of experience and full qualifications mean that no adopter is left without help if and when needed.

You can meet lots of puppies at our Ap Lei Chu Homing Centre any day, as well as all of the foster puppies too at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday as usual, 2pm to 5pm.

Putting the day's disappointments behind me, I'm looking forward to Sunday's P2F (Pulse to Fun taking over from Peak to Fong) and the day's activities.  I don't think I've made the walk along the Repulse Bay waterfront, at least not for a very long time, and it's a beautiful stretch of seafront.

After the walk we've got all sorts of great prizes to give away as well as things to do, and all in perfect time to catch the last of the year's sunshine before the drop in temperature (according to the HK Observatory).  There's still time to buy your ticket/T-shirt, and last-minute online purchases can be collected at the venue on Sunday. 

Tues 26th Nov: An early start for nothing

A younger and slimmer Minky in her walking days 

I was up very early today as one of my Lamma dogs was booked in for minor surgery and I wanted to go with her to Acorn rather than send her unaccompanied.  If you've been a long-term follower of HKDR and my blog you may remember Minky from way back, when she and Sparkle were best friends as puppies and inseparable until they grew up.  Sparkle subsequently died of diabetes, which due to her being a very nervous type couldn't be treated, and although when young Minky used to join the daily hikes she grew lazy and eventually stopped.   Now at eleven years of age Minky needed to have a small growth removed from her leg, almost certainly nothing serious, but traffic jams between Tai Po and Aberdeen meant I had to cancel for today and instead one of the older Ap Lei Chau puppies went for desexing.

As mornings are a busy time for me with dog walking and feeding as well as my "office" work to do, if there's any reason for me to have to go over to Hong Kong Island before midday it means a very early start.  That's not such a problem for me even if I don't like it, but it leaves the dogs and their inner clocks totally confused.  They have their routine and know exactly when and in which order things happen, so an early walk has them puzzled and some miss out on breakfast because the timing is wrong.  Now I have to do it again next week when Minky's rescheduled operation is due to take place.

That's going to be Monday, the day following Pulse to Fun (and Whiskers N Paws puppy afternoon) so there'll be a mad rush to write my blog before leaving home.  Hopefully there'll be lots of good things to talk about, starting with the walk along the waterfront https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/videos/470762943547761/?v=470762943547761
followed by hours of fun and shopping at the pulse.
We've got Doga (yoga with dogs), swimming (for dogs) food and shopping for everyone, so really a great family day out.

Thanks again to our amazing sponsors https://hongkongdogrescue.com/event-sponsors/ for supporting, including the prize sponsors for the highest amount raised for the Sponsored Walk https://hongkongdogrescue.com/sponsored-prize-list/

On top of that there's a fantastic Goodie Bag for all participants wearing the P2F T-shirt (remember that's your entry ticket) so nobody leaves empty-handed. 

Mon 25th Nov: Yay for bendy-legged Alfie!

Alfie may have bendy legs but now he has a home of his own!

In amongst the deluge of surrender emails there was one very happy and heartwarming message from long-term Tai Po volunteer Terry.  He'd taken bendy-legged Alfie home to see how he was going to fit in with the other dogs, and although it was supposed to be a week's trial the adoption was confirmed after just a day.   Poor Alfie, born with a severe leg deformity, is now lucky Alfie, proud to be adopted and have a family of his own.

We're coming into a difficult time of year for adoptions, and whether it's connected to the recent troubles or not, a lot of people seem to be abandoning their dogs at the moment.  Newly-surrendered German shepherd, Victor, went for a check-up today and was found to be heartworm positive, yet another one whose ex-owner failed to give any protection against the disease.  As I've said many times before, if you live outside the city and don't protect your dog against the mosquito-borne infection, it's pretty much guaranteed.

Victor is handsome and friendly

Freddie, Jilly and Judy are staying at our Ap Lei Chau Centre

As a reminder to anyone who didn't see yesterday's post, we have a lot of puppies available for adoption at the moment and here's another set a of photos which came too late to be included  Puppy Adoption Day 24 November 2019 - Part 5.  Sunday's Whiskers N Paws afternoons are when you can see all of the puppies together at the same time but that doesn't mean you can't meet them on any other day.  Our Homing Centres are open every single day without fail, and meetings can be arranged for any of the puppies lucky enough to be staying in foster homes, and that currently includes the remaining four small-sized Seasons litter.

This coming Sunday is Pulse to Fun day, and although I'm going to be there for the 11am start and for most of the event, I'll be heading over to Whiskers N Paws for the puppy afternoon later on and it will start at 2pm as usual.

Thanks to our very supportive sponsors for guaranteeing that Sunday is going to be an amazing and fun-filled event, and for everyone who has already bought their ticket T-shirts.  There's still time to buy at any of the retail outlets listed on our website, or at either of the Homing Centres.  Here's the quick link to find all the information about the event https://hongkongdogrescue.com/p2f2019/  so I hope to see you there!

Sun 24th Nov: One week to go until P2F!!

I decided to go for the "scatter" approach today at Whiskers N Paws, and that meant letting the younger puppies run free on the terrace rather than stay inside.  We had a few volunteer photographers to record the fun and games, and in no particular order here are the results with grateful thanks to all:  Puppy Adoption Day 24 November 2019 - Part 2 (Bambi Yau). The puppies had the best time ever, although as expected it was quite hard to pick out the four-legged from the crowd of two-legged kids sitting on the ground enjoying puppy cuddles.

 Puppy Adoption Day 24 November 2019 - Part 1 (Jocelyn Chiu)

July loves to play

Once again little July was the entertainer of the afternoon, running around and wrestling with anyone who wanted to play, and honestly I would love to have this funny girl myself.  Like all of the Seasons litter July will be a small-sized adult meaning short legs and long body, like a corgi shape and size, and as so many potential adopters are looking for this kind of size we still have Winter, June, July and August available. Here's the photo album by Faye Cheuk Puppy Adoption Day 24 November 2019 - Part 3 showing July having fun.

There weren't any confirmed adoptions to write about although two lucky pups were taken home for fostering with a view to adopt, including the "mini golden retriever" Ora, which wasn't a surprise.  All of the puppies are very friendly, happy and (in my mind anyway) beautiful, and as I always say when asked about temperament, if you treat a puppy with love and kindness it will grow into a well-balanced and behaved adult.  The way a puppy looks will attract attention, but underneath the long or short coat, colour and size, they are all the same in the end. This photo set is thanks to Kathy Guo Puppy Adoption Day 24 November 2019 - Part 4

Thank you Shavonne (and Winter)! 

We also received two lovely birthday donations, one from Shavonne (shown here with puppy Winter) and the other from Hannah via TwoPresents.

Thank you Hannah!

This time next week will be Pulse to Fun, and you still have time to pick up your ticket-T Shirts in time for the big day.  According to the weather forecast this will be the last warm and sunny day before the temperature drops dramatically, so come along to join the party to take advantage of the final autumn rays.   We have tons of things for you and your dogs to do, buy and eat, including splashing in the rooftop pool and taking part in the waterfront walk. 

This event serves two purposes, the first is to have a big meet-up for the whole family to enjoy, and the second is to raise funds fro HKDR.  As you probably realise this has been a difficult few months for everyone, and we hope that our efforts to provide a happy day out for dogs and their humans alike will also bring in the funding to help us take care of the dogs and puppies.

The walk is easy and a scneic oute along the seafront

It's next Sunday!!

We will also be at Whiskers N Paws with the puppies from 2pm to 5pm as always, and if there are any you want to meet before then please just ask so we can arrange.

Sat 23rd Nov: German shepherd out, and in

Jenna going home 

By coincidence as one German shepherd had her adoption confirmed, another was being surrendered.  Victor, the new male, is five years old so still in his prime, so I hope he will be offered a new home soon. As is often the case he has a sad story, beginning with a breeder who didn't want him and ending up in a home where the owner became too sick to continue looking after his dog.

New arrival at Tai Po, Victor

Little Wesley also had his adoption confirmed, and while there were a few disappointed would-be adopters for him we have other small dogs still waiting for homes. 

Wesley was with us for some time before being noticed

We're going to have a packed house at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday with so many puppies currently with us, and I've been wondering how - and even if - they can all fit in the purpose-built indoors puppy area or if we should just let them all scatter out on the terrace.  I think they'd really enjoy running freely but then it's often hard to see them all as they hide behind benches or in corners and it's certainly much more difficult to control.  Either way I'm hoping for a busy afternoon, and if you can foster a puppy please do contact Cindy in advance at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com.

Fri 22nd Nov: Lots and lots of puppies!

Murphy is a very old grandpa now

It's hard dealing with surrender requests for old dogs, those that have spent their entire lives with their families and who are now being thrown out.  As someone who has, and has had, many old dogs to take care of I fully understand that it can be hard.  There's the same interrupted sleep that comes with having a human baby, often multiple vet visits and medications to buy, so it's a challenge for sure.  However being there for a dog when it needs you the most is part of the deal you agree to when taking in a puppy, and if you can't handle it then please don't even start.

I admit I don't have any patience with such dog owners, as well as having no understanding of how they can be so unfeeling and callous.  It seems that there are many people who assume that dog rescue organisations exist to relieve them of the burden of their senior pets, or as somewhere convenient to dump four-legged family members when they become an inconvenience. 

Adopting (or buying) a puppy is a long-term commitment to a life that depends on you entirely for fifteen years on average.   A dog considers its humans as family, and trusts that they will always be there, a trust that is too often broken.   Allowing children to influence the parents' decision to get a puppy also often means that once the kids are grown up the dog gets thrown out too, so please make sure that it's the whole family that wants to have a dog.

Lots of new puppies have recently come to us

Having said all of that there are happily many wonderful dog parents, those who genuinely do think of their pets as being part of the family, and that's what I'm hoping for when I'm there every Sunday at Whiskers N Paws with the puppies needing homes.  At the moment we have so many and it's not a great time to be a puppy-in-waiting with Christmas coming up, closely followed by Chinese New Year.  These are the little ones who were at last Sunday's afternoon event  Puppy Adoption Day 17 November 2019 - Part 2 and now with a lot of new arrivals it's going to be a packed puppy enclosure for sure.

Poor Romeo's pads are sore and swollen

Our new French bulldog Romeo's story is a sad one, as it seems he has spent years in a cage, standing on hard wire with no bedding or relief.  His poor feet are sore and swollen as a result, so we're having to keep his walks outside to short outings until his pads harden and heal.  Keeping dogs in cages is an abomination as far as I'm concerned and I wish there was a law against it.

With just over a week to go until this year's P2F (now Pulse to Fun) things are looking good for a great day out for both dogs and their humans.  We've got all sorts of activities going on with lots of things to do and buy, and I hope you can come along to enjoy a day of nothing but happiness and fun.  Remember that your T-shirt is your ticket so be sure to wear it on the day!


With thanks to our amazing sponsors listed here https://hongkongdogrescue.com/event-sponsors/

📢Volunteers Wanted for Pulse 2 Fun Next Sunday!!!

Date: 1st December 2019 (Sunday)
Time: 8:00am - 10:30am
Venue: the pulse, Repulse Bay

Task to help with: Event set-ups

Please email Eva at eva@hongkongdogrescue.com with your name and contact number if you can help. Thank you!

Eat, play, swim at P2F 2019! 

Thurs 21st Nov: More and more puppies

We took in a new delivery of puppies from AFCD Sheung Shui today, stretching our limited space to its limits so we really need to move some on into foster homes.  I'd taken two of those staying on Lamma to Acorn for their second vaccinations and ended up exchanging them for several newbies, while Misty and Willow joined the three fluffy pups upstairs at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre.  You can meet them all at this Sunday's Whiskers N Paws afternoon, or ask Cindy about fostering by emailing foster@hongkongdogrescue.com.  One of the new puppies looks like a little golden retriever so I think she'll be a popular girl.

Romeo the French bulldog is not quite 7 years old

Along with the puppies today we also took in a French bulldog boy, now called Romeo, and he's ready to go to a new home any time.  Please do complete the adoption questionnaire before asking about him as that's a first step for anyone interested in taking one of our dogs home.  You can find it at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Talking about Sunday made me realise that the following weekend will be the 1st December, and that's Pulse to Fun day!  Everything is going ahead as planned so we're looking forward to seeing many old friends, as well as new.  Please be sure to wear your T-shirt on the day as that's your entry ticket to the pulse, the venue for Sunday's event.

Look at these two gorgeous faces, Twiglet and Bongo

Long-term volunteer Harryn has been busy as always taking great photos of the Ap Lei Chau dogs and puppies, and here are some that I think you'll like.

Twiglet and Bongo are obviously small-sized adults, while Origami and Zeb are older puppies, good friends while being very differing sizes.  Origami is a gorgeous and very big boy, while Zeb is small-medium.

Origami and Zeb are both staying at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre

Weds 20th Nov: Chase still needs a home

Chase is a medium-sized and active dog

A while ago I posted about a poodle in need of a new home due to a genuine medical situation in the family, and a lot of people subsequently asked about adopting Chase.  However as often happens one by one the potential adopters dropped out for this reason or that, and now the deadline for finding a new home is almost here and Chase is soon going to be homeless. 

Here again is what his current family say about him, and it should be noted that Chase isn't a small poodle and weighs 14kg (although he's admittedly overweight and should be closer to 12kg).   Anyone who likes the labradoodle type/size might consider Chase, and if that's you please complete the Adoption Questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.come/adopt/adoptions-questionnaire/

"Chase needs a little bit of time to get to know you. Once he is comfortable he is always up for a good belly rub and a scratch behind the ears. He loves to be near you and he likes resting his head on top of your lap. He is very loyal and protective particularly of children. He is perfectly toilet trained, doesn’t jump on furniture and hasn’t damaged any of the house. He tends to bark when the doorbell rings, but if you ignore him and let him sniff the guests he will be perfectly fine within a few minutes."


I haven't been pushing the little fluffy puppies staying at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre as they're still pretty young and so lovely that I know they'll find the perfect homes when the right family comes along. For some feelgood moments here's a video of Freddie, Jilly and Judy doing their happy greeting routine https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/videos/2540033979607500/

We have a lot of young puppies at the moment and more arriving from AFCD on Thursday, so foster homes are really needed if you can take in a little lodger for a while.  Everything will be provided in terms of food, bed, and fencing if required, so all we need from you is the time, space and cuddle time.  Please email Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com if you can help.

Jason was adopted but we have a replacement coming

We'll also be taking in another black-and-white French bulldog boy, although not a very young one like Jason (who has been adopted).  The new arrival is almost seven years old but that's what we'd call an adult, not a senior, so there's plenty of years left to enjoy his company. 

Tues 19th Nov: Rescued from near-death

Jemma is such a lovely girl

I took a third cruelty case dog out of AFCD Pokfulam today, and just like the previous two now-Jemma is very sweet.  She's a bit older than the boys Billy and Robin, and has obviously been a pet as she's very easy to walk on a leash and was quite relaxed in the van too.  We know some of the dogs from this shelter had been sent there by their owners, in fact one of those at AFCD was supposed to have been reclaimed by the registered owner who has since disappeared,  but I'm still not allowed to take the dog out.  Such is the insanity of the laws as they stand, or at least AFCD's interpretation of them.   All of our dogs deserve real homes and families, but surely these cruelty case individuals deserve it more than any other.  What you see now is not what they looked like when they arrived at AFCD, and today one of the staff kept telling me over and over how emaciated Jemma had been, just days from death.  The whole case was tragic, including the minimal sentence meted out by the magistrate when it finally came to Court.  So many cats and dogs died where they lay, left without food or water to wait for help that came too late for some.  That those who made it out alive are such lovely characters speaks volumes for the forgiving nature of dogs.

Salty on arrival in August

Probably most of our adoption enquiries are for smaller dogs, which is understandable given the size of most Hong Kong homes, but still the breed versus mixed preference persists.  Salty, for example, is a small-medium size, just a year old and now a very affectionate boy.  He had a bad start in life and was a terrified wreck when found at the waterfront with a string tied round his neck and untouchable initially. Gradually he started to relax and trust, and now he will lean against your legs and ask for a back rub as well as enjoying his walks.

Zara and Zeb (left and right) in June

Zeb is another lovely little dog, the last of the "Z Litter" and the smallest of them all.  That he survived at all is a miracle in itself, as the pups were so tiny when they arrived and all had tick fever. On top of that they were infected with distemper, and in the end only Zara and Zeb made it through. Zeb now enjoys his outings to the dog park with the other Ap Lei Chau residents, and as the weeks pass he's growing in health and strength but remains a small size.

Pulse to Fun is coming up on Sunday 1st December  (just a reminder if you haven't bought your T (for ticket) shirt yet) and I think everyone can use some relief from the current difficulties and dramas.  Thanks to our many and generous sponsors we've got a great day planned, and in a safe and very lovely environment.

Mon 18th Nov: Visit our Homing Centres any day of the week

Robin had a shave at AFCD so may be a fluffy dog

It feels like ages since I was last at AFCD Pokfulam although thankfully there have been no new dogs coming in, but I was back today to take out another of the cruelty case dogs, a sweet boy I called Robin.   After having been in a kennel for so many months it's quite a terrifying experience for them to suddenly be walked out on a leash as they have become so used to being closed in, but Robin quickly calmed down and was such a good boy at Acorn allowing Dr Seems to check him over.  He's got a slight ear infection but is otherwise in good health and I'm sure he'll be happier at our Tai Po Homing Centre where he'll be walked and fussed over by the volunteers.   I can't complain about the care given at AFCD, but obviously being shut in a kennel for half a year isn't exactly ideal.

It's one thing taking in dogs from AFCD and situations like this because it feels like a step up for them, but it's really not the same when people want to surrender their long-term pets that they claim to love so much. "We're leaving Hong Kong" is not a reason to give up a dog unless there's really extenuating circumstances, and using a rescue organisation as a convenient dumping ground is very sad.

I was trying to explain the importance of desexing to someone who was looking at puppies on Sunday, while he was saying that in a dog-friendly place like Discovery Bay it would be different wouldn't it?  Actually DB is notorious for people leaving their dogs behind, but apart from that it is never OK to allow your dog to have puppies when there are thousands of pets being abandoned,  homeless animals in shelters or being "humanely" killed. There is never anything humane about destroying a healthy animal just because nobody wants it.

We have so many puppies now, all of them lovely (take another looks at Eric Tang's album from Sunday) Puppy Adoption Day 17 November 2019 - Part 2 , and more will be coming in this week.  It's a very difficult time right now for homing with Christmas and holidays looming and the current situation in Hong Kong meaning potential adopters are choosing to stay home rather than venture out.  We're doing the best that we can but we need your help and support more than ever in terms of adopting and donating.  All outside adoption events other than Sunday's Whiskers N Paws afternoons have been put on hold for the time being, so there will be no Concordia Pet Care or WeWork events taking place, but our two Homing Centres remain open every single day and you can visit whenever you want.

Sun 17th Nov: Two weeks to go!

Topaz went home almost immediately 

We didn't have a van today as our driver Ming had taken the day off, but thanks to the help of volunteers all puppies arrived safely at Whiskers N Paws and there was a large crowd for the early part of the afternoon.  Topaz had been pre-chosen so was quick to be taken home, and out of the Seasons litter it was Spring who was picked to join his lovely new family.  The personalities of these little puppies are quite different, and once again July was full of energy and played non-stop for the full three hours. She always makes me laugh, and if you're looking for a smaller-sized dog who can enjoy long hikes as well as being a really happy and friendly girl, July's the one for you.

Spring and his new family

Brindle puppies were the lucky ones it seems, as another stripey baby, Paula, was taken home for fostering and potential adoption.  If you can foster any puppies please contact Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com as we have new puppies arriving this coming week and need some help.

Paula was taken for fostering

Eric Tang is a regular volunteer photographer and he takes wonderful photos for us, and here is his album from the afternoon.  Puppy Adoption Day 17 November 2019 - Part 2   Most of the puppies were inside, but older pups Maddie, Rio and Carla stayed on the terrace to enjoy the space and warm sunshine.  They're all waiting for homes too, so please don't forget them if you're looking for a new family member.  Being just that little bit older everything has already been done in terms of vaccinations and being able to go for walks, so it's a lot easier in many ways.

A second photographer was also there helping out so here's Mary Hsiao's album

Puppy Adoption Day 17 November 2019 - Part 1

Jason 

Over at our own Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre it was going home day for two lucky dogs, Jason the French bulldog and Tori the chihuahua cross, while a new poodle girl was surrendered in awful condition. 

Tori

We can fix her up so she'll look like a normal dog again but at eleven years old it's very sad that she should end up homeless and with an easily treatable condition.  I've called her Bambi and she'll be starting her treatment immediately.

Poor Bambi will look very different soon 

With just two weeks to go until this year's P2F (Pulse to Fun instead of Peak to Fong) I just want to confirm that the event will be going ahead as planned in a safe environment in Repulse Bay.  We're aware that getting there isn't as easy as the Central location but we want to be able to enjoy a day out without any concerns.  Thanks to our many supportive sponsors there's going to be lots to do and buy, so please come along and join the day's fun.  Remember the T-shirts are the tickets and you can buy online or at any of the outlets selling them, including our two Homing Centres and Whiskers N Paws.