Tues 21st June: Good news for dogs going to Australia

 Tuesdays are when Iris and other staff/volunteers come over to Lamma to help with the small dogs, and the ex-Shy Squad who had to be sent over when the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre closed.  I still live in hope that at least some of these dogs can find their own homes, those like cocker spaniel Phaedra, Rumble, the "Crickets", Plum, Piggy and the shiba inus, but each one of these dogs has their own special needs.  The "Shy Squad" really need to be in a home with another dog to give them confidence, but Plum did so well in her recent foster home that we know she's actually a very sweet and easy girl, just like (Miss) Piggy is. 

The ex-Shy Squad are also easy dogs

Phaedra is also a very easy dog on Lamma, as she gets along well with the other dogs and has no behaviour issues at all.  Her only problem is that she barks at strangers, which makes living in a busy area or any residential complex difficult (OK, impossible) as she would bark at everyone she didn't know.  

You can see from the photos taken by hkdr_eagle how all of these dogs get along well, but finding homes that can cater for each of the dog's needs is a challenge.  So many people have asked about adopting Donny, the shiba inu, for example, but our experience has shown that no matter how much we try to explain about a shiba's high intelligence, and the need for mental stimulation, as well as acceptance of their strong personality, they always seem to be returned.  

The Cricket Family (there are four of the, two males and two females) must be adopted in pairs as a minimum, as they are glued together and it would be very unkind, even cruel, to let them be adopted as singletons.  The boys Blake and Bumpy are more outgoing than the girls, but even they took a long time to settle in.  All it ever needs is time, patience, and a willingness to allow the dogs to set their own schedule for being ready to interact.  

There's some very good news for families heading back to Australia and having concerns about being able to take their dogs with them.  Up until now, any dog that had antibodies to Erlichia, a type of tick fever, would be barred from entering Australia, even if the dog had been treated and had no active signs of the disease.  Now the rules have been changed, so if it can be shown (by vet records) that a dog previously infected with Erlichia had been treated and was no longer symptomatic, then the dog would be allowed into Australia.  (Ironically the more serious type of tick fever (Babesia) has never been an issue, although it is with New Zealand).    Regardless of this very welcome change to the import regulations, it will still take around six months to get all the paperwork and permits for a dog to move from Hong Kong to Australia, so please make sure that you're fully prepared and aware of all of the updated requirements well in advance.