Mon 22nd March: Double sadness

 It's not always fun working with animals, in our case dogs of course, and today was one of those times when double loss hit.

Blanco (r), enjoying a day at Whiskers N Paws with friends

One of the little Red Dogs, Blanco, had been sent to Acorn on Sunday as an emergency case when he appeared to be very quiet and stayed in his bed, and that was the last time the Ap Lei Chau team saw him.  He was being treated for acute pancreatitis and was scheduled to have more tests, but it was all too late and he died on Monday morning.   There are many tributes to Blanco on Facebook, but I'll share Eagle's as her page is public: https://www.facebook.com/HKDR.DOGGIES/

The funny thing about Blanco is that he always hated me, and would bark furiously whenever he saw me or heard my voice.  It was a game we played when I would pass the dog park and he was inside, and I felt that we were somehow gradually becoming friends, even if on either side of a fence.  I don't know why he felt this way, but that's the thing about dogs, they have their own secret thoughts and reasonings and we can never really know what they are.

My favourite memory of Biff and Buffy on Lamma

The other loss only affected me as Buffy had lived on Lamma since she was a shy puppy, along with her brother Biff.  They would go to the Sunday afternoon puppy events at Whiskers N Paws but stayed under a table together so no one would notice them.  They were beautiful Belgian shepherd crosses (I assumed) and were very close until Biff's own premature death from autoimmune disease.  I was worried for Buffy but she coped, and even if she never really made any new friends she got along well with all of the other dogs.  I noticed that she was becoming quite tired or lazy recently, and put it down to the hot weather and her very thick coat, which I was gradually trying to trim bit by bit, bit when it turned cold again and she was sleepier than ever, I sent her to Acorn too.  She went in the morning and I was going to pick her up in the afternoon, thinking she probably had tick fever or something, but Dr Joe called me with bad news and I had no choice but to let her go. 

Big and beautiful Bucket

My van friend today was Bucket, the earless dog who was at Acorn being desexed.  I hadn't met him in person before but I've seen plenty of photos and videos, and he's a handsome boy with tons of energy and a passion for playing.  I hope he can find the right home soon, but it does need to have a large garden where he can have toys to throw around, and it would be perfect if he could also have access to the sea for swimming and runs on the beach.  If you think Bucket's the dog for you please complete the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogresce.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ 

Esme

The two new puppies arrived today, and went straight off to their foster home, for which many thanks as always.  They're brother Edgar and sister Esme, and they'll be available for adoption as a pair any time, or individually once they're a bit older. 

Edgar

We have another Wine Sale starting on Tuesday after driver Ming has been to collect the boxes, so you can come to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre to buy.