Mon 30th Nov: We're committed to caring for our dogs regardless

 

It's the end of another month, and while I wait for Kathy to give us the total number of adoptions that took place during November there are three more that just made the cut as poodle Tara's adoption paperwork was completed by her foster parent, gorgeous puppy Aaron (left) was taken back forever by his previous foster home and small mixed breed Elsie started her new life as a family member. By the way, if you like the look of Elsie we have an almost identical boy, Tingle, available. 

As fast as puppies are being adopted, with thanks to everyone who has opened their heart and home to one of our little hopefuls, we got news that there were four lookalike young pups at AFCD Sheung Shui in need of help.  We'll be picking those up on Tuesday, just squeezing in before AFCD shut down again in line with the government's latest restrictions. 

I assume this also means the dog parks will be closed, including our Ap Lei Chau playground for the Homing Centre dogs, which is hugely disappointing.  The dogs will still be taken out, of course, but there will be no opportunity for them to run and play, and for those registered volunteers wondering if you're still needed the answer is yes, and actually more than ever.  

In the same way that I'm committed to taking care of all the dogs on Lamma, our staff at the two Homing Centres are similarly committed to ensuring that the dogs and puppies under HKDR's care continue to receive the very best attention regardless of anything that happens outside.  The dogs still need to be fed and walked, and to see a vet as and when necessary.  It's a huge undertaking, especially at Tai Po where there are hundreds of dogs and very few staff, so any and all registered volunteers are more than welcome at any time. 

Sun 29th Nov: Too much choice?

 Once again we had lots of interest in our lovely puppies with a couple of lucky ones going home.  Tiny Zia (left) was one of them, and half-grown Mikki the other, while Aaron will be returning soon to his ex-foster home as a forever puppy.

Maybe we just have too much choice for adopters to make up their minds, but for the smaller puppies who will grow to  be medium-sized adults sisters Kiki and Mandy (below) are fantastic characters, happy, playful and confident.   Brothers Freddie and Doddy are also quite tiny, although it's so hard (impossible) to tell from photos. 

On the cuteness front, siblings Luke, Lester and Lucy probably win, although it's hard to say as all puppies are adorable in my eyes. 

You can see more photos here https://www.facebook.com/HKDR.DOGGIES

Over at Tai Po the new three-legged husky was settling in, and re-named as Marco to avoid confusion with baby Freddie, as well as to give him a new start.

It's a complete mystery to all of us why labrador-cross Meg hasn't been adopted as she's so lovely, being both beautiful as well as sweet-natured.  We've had enquiries of course, but Meg needs a home that can provide the exercise every healthy young adult needs, so we can wait. 

Meg the Labrador cross 

This 3-year old lovely girl is currently in our Tai Po Homing Centre. She likes to greet everyone with her sweet smile and waggy tail. She is friendly, affectionate, playful and gentle. There is no doubt that she is a lovely toy collector and a big fan of tummy rubs!

Meg will make a perfect family addition. Please give her a home that she deserves!
Complete the Adoption Questionnaire as first step if you are interested in adopting her: http://hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Sat 28th Nov: Last weekend of the month

We had lots of visitors today, it being a weekend, but while we do have several smaller-sized puppies available they're not of the white and fluffy variety or any particular breed.  Doddy, Kiki and Freddie (left) are three such puppies, and they won't grow any bigger than medium size as adults.

It's impossible to know when and if small-breed puppies will come in, or even young adults, as we're very rarely told in advance so it's as much a surprise to us as anyone else.  When asked if we can notify potential adopters if any do arrive, you have to bear in mind that we get many enquiries every day adding up to hundreds over the weeks, so it's really not possible to keep track of everyone.  Besides that, most people don't want to wait and will go somewhere else if we don't have what they want immediately.  My blog is the best place to check for news of new arrivals, so keep reading if you want the latest updates. 

One of the small-sized adults that came to us recently was adopted today, and we do have others like Amber available.  I don't mean exactly like her, but small and mixed breed. 

Ted was the lucky puppy of the day, another Whiskers N Paws adoption meaning we have to choose a puppy to take his place.  There are always puppies staying at the store for potential adopters to meet, the other current two being Ted's lookalike sister Tara, and Felix (centre in the photo). 

 We get a lot of enquiries for husky puppies and that's disappointing enough in itself for two main reasons, the first being that as a rescue organisation we rarely have "breed" puppies (and I include all of the "doodle" and other intentionally-bred crossbreeds), and secondly because huskies are cold-weather dogs not intended to live in the heat and humidity of Hong Kong.  Of course there are breeders, mostly illegal, who supply husky puppies because breeders will do anything to make money regardless of the suffering involved, and they'll sell them to anyone who has the cash.  Most of these dogs lead miserable lives stuck in small homes, left alone for long hours and rarely walked and then, when they're no longer wanted then they end up with animals rescue groups.

Such is the story of today's surrender, a husky who not only has epilepsy but has also lost a leg along the way of his sad life (from jumping out of a window apparently).  He's also overweight and never walked, despite the fact that three-legged dogs are perfectly able to run just like any other dog.  Epilepsy can be controlled with specific drugs so that doesn't have to be a problem, but at eight years of age Freddie might not be an appealing prospect for many potential adopters.  Let's hope there's a husky fan who will prove me wrong. 

For all adoption enquiries please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Fri 27th Nov: Puppies are waiting!

 Puppies are coming back from their foster homes by the day as they reach the age when it's time for them to be adopted, and you can see some of their photos here: https://www.facebook.com/HKDR.DOGGIES as well as photos and videos of our "Red" dogs and other Ap Lei Chau residents.   Eagle even managed to get a photo of Piggy (left), who moved from Lamma to the upstairs section of our Homing Centre this week in the hope that she could make friends with the other dogs who are similarly timid (Dobby, Emma and Alex). 

It's easy to see that far from being problem dogs, with the volunteers they know and trust the "Red" dogs (like young Wilfred shown here) are lovely, sweet and affectionate.  It's one of the reasons I like to share Rocky's updates, because the dog previously known as Romeo had been waiting a long time for the right person to come along, one that saw past his grumpy exterior and recognised it was just defensive behaviour built up over time.  Yes it requires patience, but seeing the changes is so rewarding.

A previous "Red" dog that was adopted, a little black poodle called Maya, even prompted her adopter to study dog behaviour and she now has a Diploma from the International School of Canine Psychology and Behavior which only uses positive reinforcement methods and advocates only fear and force-free training. Sarah now specialises in helping dogs with behaviour issues, specifically biting, so if you would like her contact details please ask. 

One of our lovely (and very cute) puppies was adopted today, and Toby now has a lovely home and family to take care of him. 

It looks as though we're going to be able to hold a mini event in the form of a sale of our own HKDR merchandise, as well as many other dog products and accessories, on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th December outside the soon-to-be-opening Ap Lei Chau Veterinary Clinic.  We have kindly been offered the use of the clinic's outdoor area to allow us to help raise some funds, so watch this space for details. 

Thurs 26th Nov: The luck of the draw

What a difference a good home makes.  That will seem like an obvious statement, but the same dog or puppy in two different homes can behave like a completely different animal, a fact that we've seen over and over again.  Just recently a three month-old puppy was returned for being aggressive (insert eyeroll emoji) and almost immediately went to another home where he's doing really well and is happy and affectionate, and with absolutely no behaviour problems. 

Romeo, now Rocky, is perhaps an extreme example because we can't deny he had his issues, but today's update shows once again that there's no such thing as a bad dog that can't be turned around, and certainly no bad puppies.

"Dear Sally

Today we were at the vet to get a laser treatment for Rocky’s paws and back. He loves it!

Yesterday we were able to walk for 45 minutes in town in the morning and have a more quite time for over one hour at lunch in town. He slowly becomes more relaxed on the walks and was even laying down for some time at lunch. He loves people and people love him.

Last Saturday we were in town for the first time at night. It went quite well. When I came out of a bakery shop, two young ladies looked at Rocky in a way that I started to talk with them. Suddenly one of the ladies asked: “is this Romeo?” Wow, I was really astonished, people know him. And he made himself be caressed and admired....

With other dogs it’s getting better but still not how it should be. It will take more time but also this we will manage somewhen.

My daughter asked me yesterday: “Why did we have the luck to receive such a great dog like Rocky”?
Sally,  thank you and your team so much for having given a chance to this poor little dog with so many problems!!!!"

Little Tufty, featured here in this Share My Song promotion, had no issues at all and is already a huge hit with the children in her new home.  

 It’s TODAY! (Friday) From 6:00 am today to 11/28 6:00am, support Hong Kong Dog Rescue by sending a SMS to 50 881 903! Each SMS means a donation of $5 to HKDR.

Special thanks to Anson Lo for picking Hong Kong Dog Rescue 香港救狗之家to be the beneficiary charity for the radio show Share My Song@ 881903!

Your telecom service provider will debit the money from your monthly statement. 

Weds 25th Nov: Every day is Puppy Day

 Looking at today's date I see it's a month until Christmas, and once again I find myself wondering where the year went.  There have been no markers of the seasons, no annual Gala Dinner event or Peak to Fong, no Christmas Fairs or Pet Expos where we can sell our merchandise.  We haven't even been able to hold our Sunday Puppy Afternoons at Whiskers N Paws, although as mentioned several times we always have puppies staying at the store for adopters to meet, and our own Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre always has a good selection of youngsters available every day of the week. 

A lot of families are looking for smaller sized puppies, and while we have quite a few small adults we don't have any of the small breed puppies like poodles, Maltese and so on.  We do however have a number of mixed breed puppies that won't grow to be larger than medium sized adults, including little Zia (left) who was returned from her foster home for her own safety after the resident dog turned out to be very unhappy about having puppies around.  Brother Zack was lucky enough to be adopted but Zia, the smallest of all nine in the litter, is now at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre. Most adult dogs will accept a puppy, either happily or initially with some reluctance, so it's very unusual that puppies are in any danger from existing family dogs.  However it does happen that on a few occasions it just doesn't work.

Other smaller puppies at the Homing Centre include brothers Freddie and Doddy, and sisters Mandy and Kiki, and we don't anticipate that any of these will suddenly have a growth spurt that will turn them into larger-sized adults.

We also have two slightly older puppies, Toby and Mikki, who aren't a specific breed but are a mix of sorts, not typical "village dogs" by any means.  They're both five months-old boys and again won't be large as adults.  

If you're interested in adopting and of our dogs or puppies, please start by completing the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ 

Both of our Homing Centres are open every single day of the year from 10am to 6pm, so you can come to meet the dogs when you have time.

Thurs 24th Nov: So you think desexing is cruel?

 It was all about dogs and vets today, with the five newcomers going to Concordia Pet Care for their initial check-up, and Tai Po dog Jack being sent to Acorn as an emergency case (which happily turned out to be a false alarm).

Joining the group of other previously-neglected seniors like poodles Tara (left) and Paddy, one of the new females also has mammary tumours that will need a "strip".  You can probably see why I called this girl Mops, and I'm looking forward to the time in the not-too distant future when she'll look completely different.  Tara is recovering well from her first mammary strip and is getting ready for the second, after which she'll be ready for adoption.

I got an adoption enquiry today for a second dog to join a resident female, who it turned out hadn't been desexed because it was apparently "cruel" to do that.  I wish people who don't want to put their dogs through a simple spay or neuter operation when young could see older dogs like Tara, Mops and Paddy and what kind of surgery they have to endure due to the results of such a decision.  The photo shows Tara's underside after the first mammary strip, and knowing there will be a second one the same you can easily decide whether you think an early spay would have been preferable. 

After having thought about it for a while I decided to move one of my smaller Lamma dogs back to Ap Lei Chau where she'd previously stayed as an office dog.  (Miss) Piggy is a very sweet but shy girl, and being quite small she was bullied by the bigger Lamma reidents, but always greeted me so happily when she saw me walking past.  Since several of the Ap Lei Chau upstairs crew had recently moved to Tai Po, I felt it was a good opportunity for Piggy to try her luck with dogs of her own size to see if she could be drawn out of her shell.  Even if she's never adopted, I just want her to be happy and learn how to play. I tried to get a photo of her while she was at my house but she was constantly diving back into her little house so I never succeeded.  Hopefully Eagle or Harryn will manage before long. 

Mon 23rd Nov: A good time to be looking

 

It could be your lucky day if you're looking for a smaller dog to adopt, although we don't have any of the little white fluffy types, just mixed breeds who happen to be much smaller than usual (and three of them sharing the same exaggerated underbite, like Rubble shown).  The new arrivals, five of them, will be heading out on Tuesday for their standard vet check at Concordia Pet Care so won't be at the Homing Centre to meet, but those that came to us prior to the recent batch are already fit and ready to go.

Poor little poodle Paddy had his vet visit today including a heart scan revealing he has a pretty bad heart murmur.  His teeth are rotten and falling out, with the inevitable gum disease, and he's cryptochid (only one descended testicle) so castration is necessary even if there's a surgery risk given his bad heart.  Retained testicles often become cancerous.  It would be funny if it wasn't so wrong when the now ex-owner said he must be healthy "because he'd never needed to see a vet". Hmmm.

Please don't forget the many wonderful dogs that are waiting at our Tai Po Homing Centre hoping to be the lucky ones that are noticed and chosen.  Thanks to https://www.facebook.com/HappyWoofHK  I see reminders all the time of those who were once little puppies, and who have grown up with us. It's never too late to be adopted, as many seniors have shown over the years. 

Sun 22nd Nov: More in than out

 It was more about in than out today as four new dogs arrived, smaller sized so they'll stay at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre.  I'm not sure of details at this point but I'll be taking them to be microchipped and licensed on Monday, and I do know one is a very cute puppy boy. 

Of course all puppies are cute, like the three currently staying at Whiskers N Paws and no doubt getting lots of attention from shoppers at the store.  Ted and Tara are siblings, while Felix in the middle is a bit older.  If you're interested in adopting any dogs or puppies please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ 

Trainer Alice Lau took this photo after the November Positive Partners Training Course graduation, so congratulations to all of the participating dogs and their families.  You can take a look at the photos at https://www.facebook.com/hkdrpositivepartners, and I just love seeing ex-HKDR dogs and puppies taking part.  Look how attentive Chili (was Kit) is to his teacher Cactus....

Bono was taken home from Tai Po today, while puppy Gunner was adopted from Ap Lei Chau.  

Sat 21st Nov: Things coming together at Tai Po

 We had such a good day for adoptions at Tai Po today, with things coming together after enquiries led to initial visits for some and immediate decisions for others, resulting in mother-and-daughter Raisin and Radish going home together (yay!), older puppies William and Xylo (left) being chosen (separately) and Nemo just squeezing in at the end of the day.  Other photos to follow later. 

Over at the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, foster puppies are starting to return to us as they reach adoption age and two of those today were Aaron and Adele.  For Adele it was perfect timing as she was adopted just a few hours later, so for all the foster parents who feel sad about sending their puppies back, don't worry, they're all happy to play with each other while waiting to meet their forever families, and being at the Centre means it's easy for potential adopters to meet them.

We took in a new poodle today, a nine year-old boy now called Paddy.   His ex-owners had done nothing in the whole time they had had him, not a single vet visit in his entire life, no vaccinations, no microchip or license, no nothing.  He was left alone all day and never walked, his nails subsequently growing long. Thank goodness they finally accepted that giving him up was the best thing they could do. 

For some extra photos and information about our dogs and puppies you can visit this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HappyWoofHK

Or go to www.hongkongdogrescue.com/dogs/ to see all of the available dogs (puppies not included). 

Fri 19th Nov: A day at Penfold

Thanks to a gourp of caring volunteers there was a happy reunion at Penfold Park in Shatin of some Ap Lei Chau dogs with ex-Ap Lei Chau friends who moved to Tai Po either recently, or a while ago.  Feta, Oddie and Cora were all shy puppies who grew up at Ap Lei Chau before moving in the hope that the bigger space and greater opportunity to meet a lot of new people would help them, and it really does seem to do that.

Wilfred is a smaller dog who should be in a home, but he came with some behaviour issues that made him unsuitable for most potential families. His day will come, I'm sure of it. He's a favourite with the volunteers, and like all dogs it's a matter of building trust and getting to know each other. All of our "Red Dogs" are the same, they're happy and relaxed with the people that they know, and only mistrust strangers.

"The kids had so much fun!! Oddie and Cora changed a lot!! Less Timid now. Feta is as happy as forever love her"

Team TP: Feta, Oddie, Cora (ex ALCs!)

Team ALC: Carlo, Gumbo, Wilfred, Cookie

Tiffany was today's lucky Ap Lei Chau puppy, while Ted was chosen at Whiskers N Paws where he's currently staying.   We always have three puppies at a time occupying the puppy corner at Whiskers N Paws, so even though we're not able to hold the actual Sunday adoption afternoons at the moment you can still meet puppies any day of the week at the store.  When one is adopted we move a replacement over from the Homing Centre, so it works pretty well. 

Receiving another message about a young puppy having to be returned I'm going to say it again, and especially to families with young children or those thinking about starting a family, ALL PUPPIES BITE.  They're babies, and just the same as human babies they aren't born fully trained and with an understanding of how to behave.  Or rather how many humans would like them to behave, because the fighting and biting is the way a puppy learns, and it's essential to their healthy development.  There's a reason this is on our questionnaire: "If you are adopting a puppy, do you understand that puppies may chew your shoes and furniture, and bite with sharp teeth?" 

 That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't do anything about teaching a puppy not to bite, or to control how hard their bite is, but it's inevitable that at some time there will be tears when kids and puppies mix.  That's why we suggest an older puppy or even a young adult for families with young children if the biting is going to be seen as a problem.  

Thurs 19th Nov: Feels like Spring

 The warm and humid spring-like weather was an unpleasant surprise today, but I suspect we've all become accustomed to the natural order of things breaking down these days.  Still life goes on, the dogs need feeding and walking, but most of all they need homes.  Reading about the ever-growing sale of puppies in pet shops and from breeders, encouraging the terrible smuggling trade from China, makes me very sad, especially knowing that we have so many beautiful dogs and puppies at our Homing Centres.  I mean, who could be cuter than these two brothers Luke and Lester? 

Happily we are getting a lot of adoption enquiries coming in and I always look forward to the weekends, not in the traditional sense of having a couple of days off, but hoping to see more dogs and puppies haeding off to start their new lives with their adopters. 

Jiffy the poodle left our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre today, another fluffy pillow taken away from puppy Kiki.  I don't know what it is about this gorgeous puppy and her love of small dogs, but sister Mandy who was adopted the other day has taken to using the resident Yorkie in the same way. 

I haven't mentioned a small-medium dog that came from AFCD last week, other than the day he arrived.  Rubble's turned out to be a sweet and happy boy who loves his walks, and although he's not a youngster at nine years, there's still a lot of life in him yet. 

Weds 18th Nov: Like caterpillars to butterflies

 Three more of our lovely puppies are off the available list as of today, with little Lemon going to join another ex-HKDR dog who was called Taurus when he was adopted as a puppy, Grover going back to his ex-foster home as a forever boy, and Tiffany being chosen out of the many available hopefuls. Poodle Jester was also picked up and will be missed by the puppies who used him as a snuggly comforter.

 We don't post the young puppies' photos or details on our website with the adult dogs or older puppies because they change too quickly to be able to keep up, but you can always check these Facebook pages for lots of photos and videos of both Ap Lei Chau dogs and puppies as well as Tai Po dogs: https://www.facebook.com/HKDR.DOGGIES and https://www.facebook.com/HappyWoofHK

Here's a Happy Woof video where you can see how much the puppies enjoy their friends, including the poodles! https://www.facebook.com/HappyWoofHK/videos/3818197271547289

I've previously posted before-and-after photos of tiny baby pups who came to us as rescued foundlings, and who were taken into foster care until they were old enough to be adopted.  Of this "S" litter, after some lovely photos taken by her foster home were shared we had a few lovely homes offered for Sindy, while Susie and Sandboy have also been lucky, but there are still a couple of puppies available, Senna and Saffy.  This is what they look like now......

I have to admit I just love seeing these transformations, like caterpillars to butterflies. Look out for more coming up very soon.