Fri 30th June: A magnificent 50

This is close to Mason's final adult size

 At long last it was Mason's time to leave our Kennedy Town Homing Centre with his new family, and I'm sure everyone was very happy to say goodbye.  Mason came to us with his two siblings, Max and Melody, and at that time, as with all very young puppies, we couldn't tell how big or small they would be as adults. As they grew a bit older it was clear they would remain fairly small, and also that from their body shape and faces they seemed to be part dachshund.  Not that it makes any real difference, it just confirmed our views about their potential final size. 

Max, Melody and Mason

There's another pair of siblings who are long overdue for adoption, and like Mason, Max and Melody, they have also been with us since they were very tine babies.  The difference is that Pepper (aka Reggie) and Pixie are larger sized, but that shouldn't make a difference when they're also both wonderfully friendly and happy characters.  

Pixie 

In fact Pixie, the female, has just been to Acorn to have the stitches removed  following her desexing surgery, and I had to laugh at the vet's comments on the notes: "Objective/Observations:  lovely girl, but nearly licked me to death".   

Both Pixie and Pepper have been in foster homes since first arriving, but sadly the time has come for Pixie to have to be returned and we're urgently in need of a forever home for her, or at least another foster situation.  You have it in writing from the vet how sweet-natured Pixie is, and the same can be said for Pepper-Reggie, even though he hasn't been formally assessed as such.  You can see Pepper-Reggie's life so far on Instagram @why_i_foster, with all of the comments about him and how wonderful he is.

Pixie and a few of the female puppies who are around six months old haven't been able to attend the regular Sunday puppy party at Whiskers N Paws because they have been recovering from their desexing surgeries, but Penny and Pippa should be back this weekend, along with Pixie and others. 

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

Now for the lovely month-end surprise of fifty confirmed adoptions and the lucky winners of the prize of a forever home! 

Tai Po Homing Centre

Farrah (Siberian Husky)

Kellet (Multibreed)

Truffle (Multibreed)

Kennedy Town Homing Centre

Aspen (Multibreed puppy)

Parker (Multibreed puppy)

Byron (Labradoodle)

Julian (Multibreed)

Teddy (Wheaten Terrier cross)

Breezy (Terrier/poodle)

Brody (Terrier cross)

Jolene (Scottish Terrier cross)

Berry (Multibreed puppy)

Blythe (Terrier cross)

Bea (Multibreed puppy)

Melody (Dachshund cross)

Beanie (Poodle)

Jemima (Multibreed)

Justin (Poodle)

Bentley (Basset Hound)

Bertha (Basset Hound)

Bounce (Multibreed puppy)

Dylan (Terrier cross)

Buster (Terrier cross)

Gambit (Poodle cross)

Georgia (Poodle cross)

Bowie (Multibreed puppy)

Brooke (Multibreed puppy)

Jude (Multibreed)

Bliss (Multibreed puppy)

Bella (Multibreed puppy)

Olive (Multibreed puppy)

Whiskers N Paws

Branston (Terrier cross)

Foster Homes

Dinky (Multibreed puppy)

Lulu (Poodle)

Tara (Poodle)

Lucas (Multibreed)

Johnny (Multibreed)

Marcus (Poodle)

Liam (Multibreed puppy)

Ali (Multibreed puppy)

Peanut (Multibreed)

Taco (Multibreed)

Boris (Siberian Husky)

Echo (Siberian Husky)

Trinity (Siberian Husky)

Ingrid (Shiba Inu)

Becca (Pomeranian cross)

Dusty (Poodle)

Others

Gamble (Labradoodle puppy)

Our Forever Dogs

Bruiser (Tai Po)

Jude (Tai Po)

Kinky (Lamma)

Sumo (Lamma)

Rescued Dogs (Total: 29)

From AFCD: 3

From other sources: 26

Thurs 29th June: At least some happy news

Bella was the last of her litter

As always I want to start with the good news, and that's almost always adoptions. As I wrote yesterday, we had a family wanting to adopt the last of the "B" litter, in fact two families, and Bella left today.  We do still have Barbie available from the litter before, and she's also a smaller puppy and very lovely.

Barbie 

Olive's heading home

Olive was also adopted, leaving only Ocean from the "O" puppies still available, and I don't know why as she's such a pretty and very sweet puppy. 

Pretty Ocean

Betty is so lovely

Young adult Becca had been taken for fostering when it turned out she needed to have knee surgery, and it was no real surprise when her foster status was changed to adopted.  Becca is a lovely little dog, and very sweet too, which makes me wonder why Betty (from the same group) hasn't been chosen yet.  She's not exactly a small dog because she has a long body, but she's also got short legs which is why I call her one of the Big-Little types.  She's also a lovely character, calm and very sweet.

Thank you Paul Wong

We had news of another Legacy donation, this time from Paul Wong, who included a lovely message for HKDR.  Remember, writing a Will is completely free through 善最樂 ForeverGift.hk , and all that's required is that you make a bequest to a charity (hopefully of course HKDR). There's very little that's free these days, and making a Will ensures peace of mind for you and your loved ones, as well as helping the dogs at HKDR in the future.  

 I had a feeling when I woke in the morning that I really didn't want the day to start, and by the end of the day I really wished it hadn't.  The fact that the water supply for half of Lamma was suddenly cut off without warning didn't help, especially during this kind of weather, and by the time it came back on at eight thirty in the evening I was more than ready for a long shower.  

I was also trying to get one of my fifteen year-old dogs to Acorn to have him euthanised, as poor Sumo had been struggling to stand, and eat, for a while, and it had got to the point where I couldn't leave him in that condition any longer.  I didn't feel that I wanted to be going anywhere given that I was hot and sweaty and hadn't been able to shower, but at the very least I could get Sumo over to meet up with the van.  

Basil is now Bagel, and she needs a home!

However the van and Ming, the driver, had gone to AFCD to pick up another old dog, one that had been abandoned by her family at fourteen years of age when they had left Hong Kong. We'd been hoping for a foster home before taking Basil-now-Bagel out, because the Tai Po Homing Centre and outdoor living isn't fair for a sweet old lady dog, but so far we've been unsuccessful so Basil-Bagel was taken to Tai Po.  If you can help, please contact Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com, and remember we will provide everything you need so there's nothing asked other than space in your home for a very sweet and easy senior. She really doesn't deserve to be homeless at her age, and there must be someone who knows Basil-Bagel and can hopefully step forward. 

There is a reason for Sharlene's funny face

Although the reason for Basil-Bagel's surrender to AFCD was given as "leaving Hong Kong",  we know this is the standard excuse used by just about everyone these days.  Sometimes it might be true, but often it isn't, and one case where we know for sure that it was a lie was with sharpei-type Sharlene.  Her ex-owner had also used the "leaving Hong Kong" story, but then we discovered that Sharlene had a problem with her jaw, and in fact she couldn't open her mouth at all. She was tested at Acorn for a condition called MMM (Masticory muscle myositis), a type of autoimmune disease, but when the results came back as negative the next step was a CT scan.  That took place today at Concordia Pet Care, so now we're waiting for the results and hopefully an answer.  

Weds 28th June: The small and the shy

 There were two adoptions at our Kennedy Town Centre today, one being no surprise as it was another of the very gorgeous "B" puppies, this time Bliss.  Now only Bella is left, but she also has a family who want to adopt so I think we can close the file on this particular litter. We assume they're not going to be bigger than medium sized as adults, and that's another reason why they're so popular.

Bliss leaving KT

Jude has grown a lot in confidence  

The second adoption was less expected, so doubly happy as a result.  Jude also came to us as a small sized puppy, but one of the more timid types.  In fact his (possible) brother Josh is now staying at the Lamma Home for Small Dogs because he wasn't getting any better in terms of his confidence at the Kennedy Town Centre, and moving him to a quiet environment has made a huge difference to his life.  Josh can now play happily with the other dogs in the house and garden without the scary (to him) visitors and volunteers trying to get him to change.  I'm sure he will calm down as he matures, but for now he feels secure in his Lamma hideaway.

Going back to Jude, although he started off being as shy as Josh, he made the breakthrough that we have seen so many times in similar scaredy pups (and adults).  Today he left as a happy and confident one year-old, so all of the work from staff and volunteers paid off. 

Odette and Avia at WNP playing happily

There's another very timid and small-sized puppy who may have to make the move to Lamma if she doesn't also make the breakthrough that we've been hoping for, and that's Avia.  Like all of the very shy dogs, Avia loves the company of other dogs and puppies, but remains wary of humans despite having been in a loving foster home for several months, and having just returned from a two-week holiday with our regular and very experienced foster parent, Lyndsay (Instagram @why_i_foster).  Avia had a great time with the four-legged residents, but still remained resistant to opening up to the humans.  

Avia is a small sized girl

We know that these types of characters need to be in a home with another dog, and it will inevitably take time but they will come round eventually.  It takes patience and and understanding that the more you try to force the issue, the less successful you will be.  In fact the Lamma Home is proof of exactly this, because all of the dogs that are staying there are there for the same reason, and yet with each other and no pressure to become "pets", they  all eventually become affectionate and wanting to be petted.  You just have to let each dog go at its own pace and choose when they want to approach you.  If you can offer this type of home to Avia, or any of our less confident dogs,  you'll find the moment that they start to accept and trust you very rewarding. 

Tues 27th June: A reminder about our Elgin Street store

Rex out and about in Soho 

 Once or twice a week I visit our Elgin Street location in Soho where the shop and office are located at street level, as well as the "Red" dogs, plus others (like Ned), downstairs.  We usually have a few small dogs helping out in the office too, those that need some space alone or who are just in transit.  Currently only almost-blind Rex is still waiting for someone to come along and fall in love, and he's happy enough with his life in the meantime. 

We're here at 22 Elgin Street, Soho

I wanted to mention the store and the fact that we have a huge variety of collars, harnesses, leashes and other pet accessories, in fact everything that you could possibly need.  We also stock Stella and Chewy's dog food, and have travel crates of all sizes for sale too.  

We have all sizes of travel crate

I know that the large and giant-sized crates are often hard to come by, so please drop by if you're looking for one that will fit your dog in preparation for travel.   Remember that by buying anything from our Elgin Street store you're supporting the charity and our work, so even if it means going a little bit out of your way it's worth the effort.

The giant crate doubles as a storage box

Husky girl Trinity 

Another general reminder is that emails often end up in the Spam inbox, and many times we find that messages have been completely missed.  Coincidentally this has just resulted in final adoption confirmation for two dogs that have been in their homes for some time, but whose adopters just missed all of the emails that we'd been sending.  We weren't concerned about the dogs or their welfare, we just needed to tie up all of the adoption procedures, as well as adding the dogs' names to the now very long list of those that have found homes through HKDR over the years.  So now Larissa and Trinity will included in the adoption total for June, two more very lucky girls. 

Larissa the day she left Tai Po

Mon 26th June: From foster to forever

 Ingrid was an ex-breeder shiba inu who came to us in April via AFCD, where she and some other breeder dogs had been surrendered (we still have poodle Isla in foster from that intake).  She was immediately taken for fostering, and today her forever status was confirmed. 

Blind poodle Dusty came as part of another intake in early May, and she too was lucky enough to be offered a foster home where she'll now be staying for ever.  Obviously we're especially happy about this adoption because being blind makes moving to another home much more challenging for any dog, and Dusty has settled so well where she is. 

I was happy to see that there is finally some discussion about changing the current four-month quarantine requirement for pets coming to Hong Kong from certain countries.  I remember when the UK had even longer quarantine of six months, and that was scrapped a long time ago without any cases of rabies appearing as a result.  Absolutely nobody wants to see rabies in Hong Kong, with the last known case being recorded back around 1980, but the rabies vaccination is extremely effective and animals can also have titre tests showing the level of immunity.  The inevitable result of the quarantine requirement, in addition to the lack of quarantine kennel space for those wanting to bring their pets in legally, is the rise in smuggling dogs and cats to and from China in particular.  It makes no sense at all to encourage this illegal business, which not only causes suffering and potential death to the animals, but also greatly increases the risk of rabies being imported.  I assume it will take years for any actual change in the laws, just as TNR (Trap, Neuter and Return) has been under discussion for decades, but at least someone is seeing sense. 

Sun 25th June: Truffle and puppies

Brooke 

Truffle went home today! 

The best news of all is always the adoption of a Tai Po dog, and today it was Truffle's special day.  Huge thanks to Truffle's adopters for giving a home to a dog that would normally be overlooked but who can now enjoy being a loved family member.

Bowie 

I guessed it would be puppy time at Kennedy Town, and happily I was right as three of the gorgeous "B" litter left to begin their new lives as family members. 

Ben has a short trial with the resident dog

Benjamin Po was today's volunteer photographer at Whiskers N Paws, and although all of the puppy adoptions took place at Kennedy Town rather than here, we did receive two lovely donations instead.  Here are the photos of the event  Puppy Adoption Day 25th June 2023, with thanks to both Benjamin for his time and skills, and the thoughtful donors, Vir (shown with his sister), and Nathalie .

Thank you Natalie!

Thank you to Vir, shown here with his sister

Sat 24th June: Last WNP Puppy Party for the month coming up

 It's taken a while but finally the first pair from the family of ten poodly-type dogs have left to start their new life, and while I'd love to share the adoption photo I'm having some issues sending images from WhatsApp to my computer.  For now I'll just have the use the family headshots, and tell you that it was Gambit and Georgia who were adopted.

I'm fairly sure that the latest litter of puppies will be reduced by a few this weekend, if not all going off to their new homes.  Bounce was the first to leave last weekend, and she's already started her basic lessons with the trainer that we recommend for all home visits, Alice Lau.  

Barbie is from a different litter 

Most of the questions about these puppies are how big will they grow to be, and we really can't know for sure.  The best I can offer is that they won't be large sized as adults. 

It looks as though Yuki is off the available list

The new white shiba inu left for his foster home today, and he has a potential home to go to once the small ringworm (fungal) patches on his body have cleared. 

Sunday is Whiskers N Paws Puppy Party time again, and I hope the rain holds off for the couple of hours we're there so the youngsters can enjoy the terrace.  The puppy (now doglet really) in the photo shown is Pip, one of the few remaining "A" and "P" puppies that arrived in a large group in February (9th to be exact).  Ava and Avia are still waiting for homes, although they're two very different types, Ava being larger and very friendly, while Avia is small and timid (but really very cute!)

Avia's been enjoying a short holiday at Instagram @why_i_foster if you want to check out some wonderful photos, and she'll be back with her original foster parents this weekend. 

Also still waiting from that same group are siblings Paxton and Pippa, also quite shy but so much better than when they first arrived.  All of the less confident characters really need to be with another dog to thrive in new homes, as you will see from the photos of Avia having such fun with her temporary playmates. 

I should mention that the new Tai Po Homing Centre Volunteer registration system has been implemented, starting with those who are already volunteering.  I had previously explained the reasons behind the need for a new system, and hopefully this will mean that new sign-ups can be dealt with quickly, and that anyone thinking about volunteering will be serious about the work and commitment.

Tai Po Homing Centre is transitioning to a whole new Volunteer System, requiring all currently registered dog-walking volunteers at Tai Po to re-enroll by submitting a new registration form before 7th July and completing the new registration process.

Under the new system, we welcome our volunteers to assist with various duties at Tai Po during their shifts, such as kennel cleaning, dishwashing, grooming, and other tasks that contribute to the dogs' well-being, in addition to walking them.

All volunteers will be required to compete 5 Supervised Shifts within 3 months to obtain a Volunteer ID card. Please refer to our website for details and register accordingly: https://hongkongdogrescue.com/registration-to-the-new.../

Thank you very much for continuing to be a part of our HKDR team in taking care of the dogs we love!

*Please note that this round of registration is for existing Tai Po volunteers ONLY. If you are interested in volunteering with us but you are NOT already a registered volunteer at Tai Po, this enrollment process is not for you. Please wait for New Volunteer Registration to open later. When it’s ready, we will announce it here and on our website. *

Fri 23rd June: Whoops, sorry!

 I got a call from a friend in England first thing, and we talked for so long I completely forgot to write my blog!  I will make up for it with some lovely adoption news tomorrow, so please check back in then. 

Thurs 22nd June: A busy holiday

Buster 

 Although in terms of visible results there isn't much to write about for today, in fact it was hectic from first thing in the morning to closing time, and sadly not all happy.  However I'm going to start with the good news that gorgeous Buster is heading off to start his new life, and in a home that has adopted several dogs from HKDR over the years. 

To make things more difficult, due to it being a Public Holiday we didn't have a van or driver to help with the multiple emergency vet visits, and Jude was the first dog to be sent by Gogovan from Tai Po to Acorn.  Sadly his condition was very serious and he had to be euthanised while unconscious, although we don't know what the cause of his acute condition was, only that it all happened very quickly.  

Jude was closely followed to Acorn by two little dogs from Kennedy Town, Grace and Gaia, both of whom were found to have pneumonia and needed 24-hour care in isolation, so that meant sending them on from Acorn to Concordia Pet Care in Happy Valley.   Grace is the senior female in the family of ten poodle types, so her condition was far more serious than Gaia's, but we needed to get them both into hospital for professional treatment. 

You might have been wondering what had happened to this large family as there hasn't been any recent news about them, but as they all needed to be desexed, vaccinated and licensed, as well as having their teeth sorted out, it's taken quite some time.  We were also insisting that they were adopted in pairs and that has also meant reducing the options, but we hope that they will start leaving the Homing Centre very soon. 

The young shiba inu that had been found as a stray was dropped off at Kennedy Town because the finder said he hadn't been able to make contact with the registered owner who wanted to claim the dog back.  We had also been messaging the owner without success, so I had to tell AFCD that we would send the shiba to them (in Pokfulam) on Friday for collection (and hopefully a fine).  The registered owner had previously claimed she had given the dog to a friend so I'm not sure why she now wants to take it back,  and as much as I'm loathe to hand any dog over to what I suspect is not a good situation, the law gives me no option.  Hopefully after a while the dog will be officially surrendered. 

We were also asked to take another small dog that had been found on the street, this time a young male bichon frise without a microchip, proving once again that the illegal breeding trade is alive and well in Hong Kong, and that the puppies are being bought by irresponsible and ignorant people.  I suppose you could say that at least throwing a dog on the street means it will almost certainly be picked up, as opposed to the monsters who abandon even tiny dogs in remote country parks, but I'm sure almost all of the animal rescue groups would accept these dogs if they were properly surrendered.  I should mention that the bichon hasn't come to us yet, and may never actually turn up, so we'll just wait and see.

Weds 21st June: Two shiba inu

We were told Yuki is a year old

The ex-breeder shiba inu arrived as promised, and at first glance he seems to be in reasonable shape and with only a few small areas of skin problem rather than half bald.  His name is now Yuki, and although he still needs to be checked by a vet, vaccinated and licensed, if you're potentially interested in adopting him please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

The 2 year-old female

We were also asked if we could accept another shiba, a female, who was picked up as a stray, and the finder was sensible enough to take her to a vet clinic to be scanned.  Having established that the dog had a microchip I was able to contact AFCD to see if she was lost rather than abandoned, as well as other information such as age.  Now I know the shiba is two years old, and was apparently given by the registered owner to a friend.   While we're currently trying to sort out whether or not anyone wants to claim the dog, it's another typical case of a puppy being bought, kept for a while and then being passed on, and often on and on, until finally there's no one left to pass it to.  By this time the dog is so confused that it has developed behaviour issues and ends up abandoned or being destroyed.  Once again the dog becomes the victim of irresponsible humans, and people who buy puppies on impulse without any thought of time and proper care required.  In case this ends up being another dog in need of a home and you can offer a suitable environment for this special breed, please also complete the adoption questionnaire.   

Please note that most shibas are not suitable for inexperienced adopters or homes with children. We still have other shiba inu who have been with us for a long time and who, although certainly much calmer than when they were very young, still need a particular kind of home and situation.  As I've said many times before, these dogs are very smart, strong-willed and independent, and not at all suitable for small homes.  

A reminder that with the weather being so hot these days please be sensible about walking your dog in the middle of the day, and on the street where the ground can burn the pads.  Keep walks short and out of the sun as much as possible, take water for the dog to drink, and wait until the evening for longer outings.  Never ever leave a dog in a car, even with the window open, and if you suspect your dog is suffering from heatstroke get to a vet as quickly as possible.   Dogs die every summer from overheating, and it can happen much faster than you think. 

Tues 20th June: A happy adoption day

Dylan has been adopted

 It's really strange the way this happens time and again, but after I wrote about gorgeous boy Dylan still mysteriously waiting for a home, suddenly there were multiple offers and by the end of today Dylan had been adopted. 

Peanut and Taco are foster fails 

Kellett joins Peanut and Taco 

Even better, only because these are large and older mixed breeds, two foster dogs from Tai Po had their adoptions confirmed making Peanut and Taco fully fledged family members.  To really top this happy event, a third dog was also chosen to go home with the same adopters, and that lucky boy was Kellet.

Boris is also adopted 

I've got even more adoptions to write about, as husky Boris also had his foster status upgraded, and with a lovely home offered to the last girl husky that means all three are off the available list one way or another. 

From time to time we're asked to take shiba inu from a breeder (not directly as we have no contact with any breeders), and on Wednesday there should be a white male coming, apparently a year old but honestly he could be any age.  I made the point of asking if the dog had four legs, because this is the same breeder that has sent us three and two-legged shibas before, and I was told yes, there are four whole legs, but a skin problem.  I assume this means scabies, ringworm or both, so we'll see.

Violet 

The four "V" doglets made the move from Kennedy Town to Tai Po today, so if you're looking for a lovely older puppy/young adult please go and check them out. 

Victor

Mon 19th June: Time for the "V" doglets to move on

 Following on from my post yesterday about the puppies-now-doglets staying at our Kennedy Town Homing Centre, Brilliant Court location, the decision was finally made that the four "V" doglets have become too big and energetic to be able to continue to live in the small space that we can provide.  So on Tuesday Victor, Violet, Viva and Vera will be packing their bags and making the move to Tai Po where they will not only have more space but will also suddenly become the youngest, rather than the oldest.  I hope they will have the same good luck as the previous litter that made the same move, only one of which is still waiting for a home.  It's never ideal, but it's the best we can do given the situation of ever-increasing number of dogs and puppies needing help. 

Dylan is just gorgeous 

Over at Kennedy Town, North Street, I'm still wondering why a really lovely little dog like Dylan hasn't been chosen yet, and the only thing I can think of is that Lhasa Apsos have a lot of hair that needs daily brushing.  Still, there are other breeds that also need regular grooming, like poodles, and they remain one of the most popular breeds of all. 

Betty 

Then there's Betty, and the "B" intake that she was part of didn't have to wait long at all to be adopted. In fact they were chosen very quickly, so I can't understand why Betty was left behind.  Like the others, who also appeared to be small in photos, Betty is a little-big dog, meaning short legs with a long body, so she's not petite or compact like Dylan.  However she's very sweet and gentle, perfect for first-time adopters who are looking for a dog that's not going to be challenging.  I love her looks and her character. 

Super-cute Buster 

When Buster first arrived we had so many adoption enquiries because he's really cute, as well as being sweet, friendly and playful.  Unfortunately it turned out that he has bladder stones so he's still making trips back and forth to the vet, and he needs to be on a special urinary diet.  However this is a perfectly manageable condition and it shouldn't affect his daily life or lifespan, so please don't let it put you off.