Weds 24th Feb: A sweet reunion

 I talk a lot about the need dogs have for companionship, as by nature they're social animals that live in family groups.  You will never find a wild dog living alone, and even pet dogs that are abandoned will join a pack if they manage to survive and are accepted.   That's why it's cruel to leave dogs alone for long hours, and especially puppies, as it goes against everything that is natural in a species.

Lily (l) is happy again with Lilac-now-Pumpkin

Yesterday one of the poodle group of nine was adopted, and that meant only Lily was left at the Homing Centre.  Lily is blind, and finding herself suddenly without any of her poodle family was devastating for her.  She wouldn't eat and was shaking non-stop, so we asked the adopters of Lilac (now Pumpkin) if they would consider fostering Lily, and happily they agreed without hesitation. From the photo received this morning (Thursday) it's clear Lily is back to her happy self, which is a great relief. 

Separation anxiety is one of the common behaviour issues that we see in newly-adopted dogs, and for some the fear of being abandoned, even if only for a short time, is so great that it becomes a serious problem.  There are several reasons why dogs suffer from this, and the most obvious stems from puppyhood and being left alone at a time in their life when their experiences will be forever imprinted on the brain.  Of course being literally abandoned as an adult will also affect behaviour, but as with all animals, humans included, lack of touch, comfort and love as a baby has a devastating and lifelong effect.  At the very least having two dogs is one way to provide companionship, although the human aspect is still important. 

Some more dogs and puppies left both Ap Lei Chau and Tai Po Homing Centres today for trial adoptions.  As always I won't reveal their names until there's confirmation that they'll be staying.

5 in this litter

We're expecting new puppies of course, as there's never really a time when the birth of unwanted litters ends.  Many of the mothers are either abandoned pets or those that have been born wild themselves (hillside dogs), the never-ending cycle of birth and death, as stray dogs never reach old age.  One of the mothers is a warehouse dog, a loose term for the many hundreds of dogs that are semi-owned in the sense that they hang round a place for food and shelter, but they're never licensed or desexed.  You'll see these dogs everywhere in the New Territories, many of them either pregnant or recently having given birth.  I'll share more information once we know when the puppies are arriving. 

7 in this litter

For those who ask "why do I have to desex my male dog since he can't have puppies", just remember that all of the unwanted litters have a father as well as a mother.  In fact any litter may have more than one father if the female mates multiple times during the fertile period, as the urge for procreation in entire (not desexed) animals is incredibly strong.  Please do the responsible thing and neuter or spay your pet to make sure you're not contributing to the problem.