Mon 23rd May: Growing up and leaving home

 What I love most about puppies is their innocence, and those eyes that look at you with pure trust.  At least those puppies who have known nothing but love, like all of our foster babies, many of whom were rescued as newborns and raised by human guardians to believe that everyone is as kind and caring as their temporary "parents".   

Now it's the turn of the "D" Litter to strike out on their own, or if they're lucky to be adopted as a pair, or with another dog in the home.  Even if I have never met these puppies because they went straight into foster homes on arrival, I still feel a strong sense of responsibility to ensure that their adopters will continue to shower them with love and kindness, and that they will never become homeless again.   Taking on the life of a young puppy is a long-term commitment, and not something for the children to enjoy for a while, or as baby substitutes for young couples.  They're also not only for evenings and weekends, in the same way that a human baby can't be left alone while the parents go out to work and be expected to be perfectly happy for the entire day with no one for company or to feed and take care of it.  At HKDR it's never a case of any home is better than none, because that's not true.   At either of our Homing Centres the dogs and puppies have each other to play with, volunteers to take them for walks, and staff that will ensure they are kept well fed and healthy, and in many cases that's unfortunately a lot more than they have in the wrong kind of home. 

Newborn "D" babies

I made a mistake when I posted Kim's adoption photo from Sunday's puppy party because it showed the now ex-foster parents rather than the new family.  Kim's foster family loved him so much they wanted to have a keepsake of their time together, so asked for a last photo.  I wasn't able to correct my mistake as I had to take a couple of my Lamma dogs to the vet, so I'm sharing the actual adoption photo now.

Kim's actual new family

We have more dogs coming from AFCD on Tuesday, one of which is young French bulldog, and I know a lot of readers of my blog do so because they want to be the first to know about new arrivals.  This Frenchie is around two years old (it seems she wasn't licensed when surrendered) who was already infected with heartworm when handed over to AFCD.  (This ex-owner would certainly fall into the category of a home that's far worse than our Homing Centres).  I understand that the dog has been treated, but in any case all new arrivals over the age of six months are routinely tested for heartworm so we'll be able to confirm that this Frenchie girl is now clear.  

The other two adults coming on Tuesday will go to Tai Po, while the single puppy will stay at our Kennedy Town Homing Centre. 

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

The updated puppy list is as follows:

Whiskers N Paws (10/F Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau)

Zak (M) and Zippy (M) 

Hong Kong Island

Bliss (F) @Ap Lei Chau 

Charlie (M) and Cressie (F) @Chung Hom Kok 

Nettle (F) and Nona (F) @Mid-levels 

Poppy (F)  @Mid-levels 

Reece (F) and Roland (M) @Pok Fu Lam 

Toppy (F) and Trent (M) @Pok Fu Lam (Instagram Page @adoptdontshop.hk)

Luna (F) @ Sai Ying Pun

Kai (M) @Sai Ying Pun

Alan (M) and Aria (F) @Sheung Wan

Alice (F) and Azaria (F) @Happy Valley

Drummond (M) and Drake (M) @Stanley

Daphne (F) and Duke (M) @Wan Chai

Kyle (M) and Kenny (M) @North Point

Kowloon and New Territories

Dawn (F) and Darwin (M) @Cheung Sha Wan

Zane (M) @Tsueng Kwan O

Kong (M) and Kooper (M) @Sai Kung  (Instagram @typhoon_k_puppies)

Dudley (M)@Sai Kung

Kelly (F)  @Sai Kung

Kyra (F) @Sai Kung

Dulcie (F) and Demi (F) @Sai Kung (Instagram Page @why_i_foster )