Mon 16th Nov: A dog is for life, not just for Covid

 I seem to have lost track of the days even more than usual as I've been nursing a head cold and not quite with it in terms of concentrating.  At least the sneezing and runny nose phase has passed but I'm still reluctant to venture out for fear of being suspected of having "the" virus and dragged off somewhere against my will.  This information is just to explain that I'm operating remotely from my small corner of Lamma and relying on messages coming from the Homing Centres to pass on such as the news that both of our older poodles have home to go to.   Poor puppies Mandy and Kiki (left) will miss their cuddlebuddy Jester, but we still have Titus as consolation

https://www.facebook.com/HKDR.DOGGIES/videos/184737216569509. 

There's no shortage of adoption enquiries coming in every day although most are looking for young and small puppies, which we don't currently have, or are unsuitable for a variety of reasons.   As I've mentioned before, both in Hong Kong and internationally there's been a huge surge in dog ownership which started with the Covid lockdowns when people were at home and had the time to take care of a pet, and continued even after offices re-opened and many went back to work.  It's worrying that this sudden desire to have a dog will result in many being abandoned once air travel resumes and holidays or work trips abroad become as commonplace as they once were, especially in Hong Kong where flying off somewhere for a weekend was perfectly normal.

Having an animal that relies on you for everything, and most of all companionship, means you can't just hop on a plane when you feel like it, and can't stay out all night on a whim.  These things that were taken for granted before 2020 might never return, but if they do there's going to be a big problem with pets that suddenly become a burden and a nuisance.  This is especially true of single people who are now adopting (or buying) dogs and will be stuck for someone to look after it at a later date if and when life as we knew it ever returns.

Please remember that a dog is for life, not just for Christmas or Covid, and that means twenty-four hours a day for an average of fourteen years or more.  Think before you commit, and if in doubt just don't do it.