Sat 19th Sept: Happy news turns into tears

As I wrote yesterday, Poppy's adoption had already been agreed and she was picked up today from Whiskers N Paws.  Poppy's new big brother looks very happy to have a little sister, doesn't he?

At around the same time the first of the Water Babies, rescued in weather pretty similar to what we're currently experiencing, was adopted from our Homing Centre, and Stream now has a wonderful home rather than the stray life she was destined to have if not found with her littermates as a baby.  

Paddling on behind in Stream's pawsteps was little sister Rain, who also went home to join two other ex-HKDR dogs, Plum and Bishi.

 

I wanted this to be a happy post about adoptions, and while some puppies did find homes the day was overshadowed by what at first seemed to be the fantastic news that lost doglet Charlie had been found, but which quickly turned to despair when the message came that he was dead.  After all the searching and so many people in Sai Kung looking out for him, it seems he had never left the area close to where he had been staying but it was all too late.  Obviously we're all heartbroken about the loss, and it seems such a waste of a life that had barely begun.

There are so many photos of Charlie because he was such a gorgeous boy, but I've chosen one of him as a puppy when he came to us in February.  

I don't want any accusations or nasty comments as sometimes things happen which you would never anticipate, in this case Charlie managing to find his way out of a securely fenced garden.  I have seen my Lamma dogs scaling walls and climbing high fences, or finding the most amazing escape routes, so I know that a determined dog will manage somehow.  So this is really just a reminder of that, and how important it is that timid dogs need constant watching and double leashing until you're absolutely certain that they won't run away. Rest in peace Charlie.