Thurs 5th Dec: A puppy for Christmas?

It wasn't the best day to have to move puppies staying at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre back to Lamma and their outside enclosure.  Of course they've got dog houses with warm bedding to snuggle in at night, but as I'm sitting here wearing a couple of fleecy tops and similarly warm tracksuit bottoms, I can't help but wish the pups could be inside.

They had to leave the comfort of the Homing Centre when younger puppies arrived from AFCD with yet more coming on Friday, and while we really don't need or want additional youngsters with so many already waiting for homes, it really is a matter of life or death.

With all of these puppies arriving it's probably a good time to re-visit an article I wrote seven years ago and which popped up as a Facebook memory today.  It applies now just as much as it did then, and I could probably keep sharing it every Christmas without it seeming to be out of date.  A puppy is the best present anyone could get BUT only if there is a plan in place for the next fifteen-plus years of the dog's life and an understanding that while children grow up and leave home, dogs never do and are forever totally reliant on their human families.

Winner's been with us for a month now. 

Coming back from Acorn where I'd taken some of the older-but-still-young puppies for their second vaccinations, I shared the van coming back with some Tai Po dogs, one of which had his big head between the two front seats.  Winner was surrendered to us as a labrador but he's probably not really.  Still he's a gorgeous boy, perfect for a family, so why is he still with us?  If you're interested in giving Winner a home please complete the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Winner laid his big head between the van seats

There was one lucky dog today, a poodle that came to us as a very scared boy and with tick fever (erlichia). It took quite some time for him to lose his fear, but eventually he opened up and started to enjoy meeting people and going out for walks.  It's always rewarding watching these changes taking place and seeing the layers of past years falling away, and now Dougal has a lovely home and family to celebrate Christmas and the coming years with.

The change in Dougal has been amazing to see