Tues 4th May: Why we have to be careful

The last Campsite dog is now with us

 The last of the Cheung Chau Campsite dogs was picked up from AFCD Pokfulam today, and I'm sure she was thrilled to be reunited with her mother and sisters at Tai Po.  I haven't heard from the Homing Centre yet, but I know that being dragged off from the only home she had ever known and locked in a kennel on her own would be a terrifying experience.  It's very obvious to see the fear and confusion in the dogs that I've seen in AFCD over the years, and it's very upsetting to know that many are considered insuitable for re-homing and killed simply due to their fear-based behaviour.  The transformation once dogs are out of that environment is instant. 

Patrick-now-Alfie is a changed dog in just 4 months

In fact an email update received from the adopter of a corgi we called Patrick (now Alfie) was a good reminder of just this, as when I took Patrick from AFCD he was so scared that he wouldn't move.  Yes, he was also obese, but it's the sheer terror in these dogs that results in their uncooperative behaviour.  Who can blame them when they're just victims of human failings. 

Cute little Jessie went home today

We don't have any idea about the history of many of the dogs that end up with us, just like the group of six smaller-sized mixed breeds that came on Saturday.  We just have to assess them on the basis of what we see and how they respond to being in an environment where they can feel safe, and I'm absolutely certain that they pick up on the happy vibes of the other dogs and puppies and that helps them enormously.  Jessie was the first of the group to be adopted and she left today to begin her new life, along with a resident schnauzer who came with the family to pick a new friend.

If we do have the stories of the dogs we accept, they're often very sad.  The three sharpeis I mentioned in a previous blog are being cared for by the neighbour of the irresponsible owner, and it's thanks to her and other neighbours that the dogs will be taken away from their current awful situation. 

Gyro will be much happier at Tai Po

Another surrender request we received for a dog whose family were moving to another country, without the dog of course, turned out to be one that was adopted from HKDR.  He was called Gyro at that time and his life has been pretty miserable since he was entrusted to these people, and that's a very upsetting thing to know.  For all of the complaints we get about being too picky about the homes we allow our dogs to go to, it's situations like these that make us stand firm. Although it's horrible to know that the promises made about how Gyro's life would be were a pack if lies, such cases are fortunately few, at least those that we know about.