Thurs 31st Aug: What a way to start September!

Dusty came from a breeder 

 I'm not sure what to begin with because I want to talk about Typhoon Fosters and also to share these two photos.  The first photo of Dusty was taken when she came to us from a breeder, and you can see what kind of care she was given, in other words - none.  The second photo shows Dusty as she looks now, and I was so amazed I wanted to post the before-and-after evidence of what a home can do, and what a difference a short time can make.  Breeders are disgusting as far as I'm concerned, and everyone who has bought, or is considering buying a puppy needs to see what goes on in these places. 

These photos are also a reminder that even if the dogs have skin problems or look scruffy and in poor health when they arrive, please don't see them as hopeless cases or forever in that condition.  Who would have thought Dusty could have become such a pretty little poodle, but she certainly did. 

It's hard to believe this is also Dusty!

Typhoon Soala is currently heading straight towards Hong Kong, and for everyone who has kindly offered to foster a dog for the period, especially from the Tai Po Centre where most dogs live outside, thank you so much!  I do need to mention that both Cindy (our volunteer Foster Coordinator) and myself were checking the foster forms all night, with Cindy going far later than I managed.  I've noticed that some people are frustrated at not receiving a quick reply, but we're honestly doing our best.  If anyone has previously fostered for HKDR and is registered as such, please just go straight to Tai Po to pick up a dog rather than waiting for someone to contact you.  Twenty three dogs have already left the Homing Centre for fostering during the typhoon, but as it seems it's going to get really bad I hope we manage to move a lot more out on Friday.   The T8 is already up, which makes transport difficult without a car, so I hope it's not too late. 

For myself, and remembering how serious Typhoon Manghut and the terrible destruction it caused, I'm going to have to spend most of Friday preparing everything for the wind and rain that I suspect will be terrible.  I really hope the typhoon has a sudden change of heart and veers off in another direction. 

Weds 30th Aug: Typhoon fosters needed please!

 It's never clear with these sneaky typhoons, but just in case we get really bad weather this weekend we need to move as many dogs as we can out of the Tai Po Homing Centre, especially the older and more vulnerable ones.  I've just received one warning which states that Typhoon Soala could be "potentially catastrophic" so we need to be prepared, as does everyone else.

The new Malamute, Moose, for example, has been offered a lovely home in Singapore but it takes time to prepare the paperwork and blood tests etc, so if anyone can take care of Moose while all of this is done it would be extremely helpful, as well as lovely for this sweet but giant-sized dog.  

Please complete the foster form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/ if you can temporarily accommodate Moose, or any of our dogs in need for that matter.   We also have many smaller dogs that need surgery and a safe and quiet place to recover.

Prof Steenkamp with Sharlene

We'll be sharing the whole story of Sharlene and her life-saving jaw surgery on our Facebook and Instagram pages, so I won't duplicate it here other than to say that Sharlene left hospital today and is now adopted and beginning her recovery in her new forever home.  We have nicknamed Sharlene's adopter "The Sharpei Angel", because she has taken in so many of this breed (as well as others), and currently even has another one of our sharpei types in foster.  This one is Zuma, and he needed to be away from the Homing Centre because the stress of life there caused digestive upsets as well as skin problems.  I'm very happy to say that he's doing very well now, thanks to the excellent care he's receiving. 

Zuma is very happy to be in a home 

I need to mention something about Sharlene's injury according to Professor Steenkamp's observations. He said it had been that way for years, and was possibly the result of a big dog engulfing puppy Sharlene's head during rough play, a common injury when a puppy's bones are still soft and vulnerable.  The face bone cracks or breaks, fibrosis occurs around the break and then extra bone grows on top. The other possibility was blunt force injury, but the reason I wanted to mention the potential danger of big dogs playing with young puppies/small dogs, is because just today that's exactly what happened to another puppy who was in foster with a large adult dog (not an HKDR dog).  The puppy was rushed to Acorn with a broken jaw, and luckily was able to be seen by Dr Tony.   The point of this story is to remind everyone that if you have puppies or small dogs playing with large ones, then supervision is essential.  

Arnie looks a bit shabby now

One small dog was adopted today from our Kennedy Town North Street Centre, this time corgi Arnie. His coat isn't the best (he came to us like that) but it seems there's nothing that proper care and grooming won't fix. 

Remember we have many gorgeous small and medium-sized dogs at Kennedy Town waiting for homes, as well as the larger ones at Tai Po.  Please complete the adoption questionnaire before coming to visit: www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Tues 29th Aug: In one moment, gone the next

The springer is now Captain 

 Every day is so full of new dogs arriving, hopefully others leaving, and definitely regular trips to and from the vet clinics.  Today we had one of the quickest adoptions on record as someone had been specifically waiting for a spaniel, so when I saw that a springer spaniel would be coming in I was able to let the adopter know in advance.  The dog (actually still a puppy) was dropped off at Kennedy Town and was out again within thirty minutes, and everyone is very happy and doing extremely well.  I wish all adoptions were that quick and easy! 

The Samoyed is now Brady 

The Malamute is now Moose 

While now-Captain was starting his new life, the Samoyed and Malamute must be hoping that their turn will come very soon.  Both are lovely (boy) dogs, very friendly young adults, and if you're interested in offering them a home please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Yaddle 

I mention the breeds because they are the ones that are most likely to find homes quickly, but we are also always taking in mixed breeds of all sizes, like the adorable Yaddle (I was told Yaddle was Yoda's wife, but I have never seen the Star Wars films so I'll have to accept that as fact). Either way it's a cute and funny name for a very cute and giant-eared older puppy. 

Pixie 

There are so many other mixed breeds of all ages at our Tai Po Homing Centre, many now reaching the end of their natural lives and who have been with us since they were young puppies.  The older dogs almost all started out with me on Lamma before moving to Tai Po, and it makes me very sad to know that they were never chosen, and never experienced life as a family member in a real home.  

You may also know that we have older puppies at Tai Po who also came to us as newborns, or very young pups, and I would really hate for them to have to grow old with us too.  Puppies like Pixie, who was in a foster home for many months before having to move to Tai Po, and the "V" doglets, siblings of Violet who was lucky enough to be adopted last week. 

At least the three "I" puppies who came to us recently and had to stay at Tai Po due to lack of space at Kennedy Town won't grow old with us.  Inky was adopted at the weekend and now Isabella and India will be going to a new home together.

Mon 28th Aug: New dogs coming every day

 Hardly a day goes by when we don't see new dogs arriving, and it's getting quite hard to keep up with who's who and where they are.  The most recent two, Melody and Morgan, are staying at Kennedy Town in case you want to meet them, even though Morgan is bordering on being too big for the small Homing Centre.  However quite a few people have asked about him and they're all on Hong Kong Island, so it made sense to keep him there for this week at least.   

Nutty 

Another newbie was added today, a one year-old poodle boy who has probably been at AFCD for most of his life as he was one of a smuggling case.  This means he will definitely not be toilet trained, having spent his puppy months in a cage, so anyone interested in adopting will have to be patient about teaching everything.  We don't agree with crate training anyway, but this is definitely a case where it will be completely counter-productive.  The only way to toilet train a dog who has never been allowed to follow instinctive behaviour is to take him out frequently and to praise every time he pees or poos in the right spot, then immediately bring him back in.  Punishing a dog for toilet accidents is never the right thing to do, especially in cases like these when the dog has no idea what is required of him.  Of course all adopters have the support of our very experienced trainer, Cactus, and she will guide you through the steps of all aspects of training. 

Jill and Jax, small sized doglets 

Our regular foster parent, Lyndsay, came straight to North Street, Kennedy Town, on her way back from from her holiday, and left with four lucky youngsters.  Three of these are small-sized "J" siblings, Jill, Jax and Johnnie, while a last-minute extra was added to the pile.  He's black lab-alike Jasper, and you can see all four already having an amazing time on Instagram @why_i_foster.  

The two large dogs, a Samoyed and a Malamute, are supposed to be arriving on Tuesday, and these long-haired breeds really don't do well at the Homing Centre as they need to be in a clean and air-conditioned home.   Even if you can only foster, we would appreciate having somewhere suitable for them to stay.   We have been told both dogs are very friendly and good with other dogs. 

As always, for adoption please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/, and for fostering you can apply at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/

Yuki has settled nicely 

I almost forgot one lovely adoption photo of young shiba Yuki.  Like Nutty, Yuki had had no training of any kind when he came to us from a breeder, so he needed time and patience from his now-adopter.

Dogs in essence just want to please, and to do what's requested of them, but they need to be taught what that is.  Shouting and punishment never work because the dog has no idea what either mean, and it only confuses them.  A work in progress is the young corgi Boomer, who was surrendered to us as being completely untouchable and a serious guarder.  Boomer is doing really well on Lamma, and is quickly letting go of all the fear and confusion of his previous life.  He's happy to be with the other dogs and to have the freedom to choose what do to, something that caging or crating takes away from a dog.  Boomer now greets me happily, and has shown no guarding behaviour at all.  I won't say that he's ready for adoption yet because complete rehabilitation takes longer than a couple of weeks, but as proof that it's seldom the dog that has the problem rather the owner or situation, Boomer is a great example. 

Sun 27th Aug: Mayhem and surprises

Jax and siblings are doglets, not puppies

 I'm happy when we're busy with potential - and actual - adopters, but it can get pretty chaotic at the small North Street Centre in Kennedy Town, especially as we're short-staffed due to holidays.  Thank you to everyone for your patience, as I know some are still waiting for updates on the new arrivals as they're sorted, named and so on, but this is where we especially miss the Manager, Iris, because she's on leave and she's the one who normally checks all incoming dogs and puppies.  With years of experience, plus her groomer background, Iris is able to assess ages pretty accurately, as well as check for lumps, bumps and wobbly knees. For now, and while we're waiting for the dogs to have their vet checks, all assessments are done via photos sent to me, so unless the ages are really obvious it's quite a challenge.  I'd thought at first that the siblings Jax, Jill and Johnnie were puppies, but they have all of their adult teeth so they're probably more like nine months old and small sized. 

Jasper is a puppy and the rest small adults

If you read my blog post yesterday you will have seen the large dogs that we were expecting to arrive at Tai Po today, but instead there were only two and they were sent to Kennedy Town, last thing in the afternoon.  Luckily one is a small girl, weighing only 8kg, and she's now Melody, while the other dog is smaller than we thought he would be based on the photos, and he looks very much like a border collie cross. He's medium sized at 15kg, and both are young at a year old, or even a bit younger.  

I assume the large dogs are still coming (the Samoyed and Malamute), but I'll have to wait to hear news of when.

Usually I begin each post with the adoptions, but as I knew some people were waiting for updates on the new dogs I started with them today.   For those who want to know who found homes, the new labrador Derek is just waiting for his vet check and results before he will hopefully be heading for his new home.  Husky girl Yoghurt also left for a trial with another ex-HKDR dog, and as both dogs are very sweet I'm optimistic this will work out. 

You can see how lovely Inky is. 

Also leaving from the Tai Po Homing Centre was one of the three puppy girls who ended up there rather than Kennedy Town, and I hope the other two will also be offered homes after successful meetings today.   They're all lovely, and very sweet.

Over at Kennedy Town, as I said it was very busy and a few dogs were adopted.  I should also mention that the two sets of small and young puppies have each found foster homes until their skin gets better, so Amber and Albert (corgi-shiba pups) and tinies Sunshine and Smartie are no longer at the Centre. 

Noah was a popular boy

Noah was the first dog to leave, after he had met his potential family on Saturday.  He was a popular boy, but for anyone who missed out on Noah we have many others who would fit the bill, maybe even the three new black-and-white "J" doglets.

Sunny and her family

Sunny had also met her new family on another day, and it's always good to see potential adopters coming back to take home the dog they have decided on. 

Salty will have friends in his new home

Salty is joining other dogs in his new home, which is perfect for him, while Briggs the poodle had waited quite a while for his big day as he had some vet issues that needed to be dealt with first. 

I big day finally for poodle Briggs 

Last, but by no means least, there was another piece of good news from Whiskers N Paws as Pippa will be going home later in the week.  This means that only Paxton will remain from the large group of nineteen puppies that arrived in February, and he's currently staying full time at the store with best friend Usko.

I want to give Usko, and his sister Unity, a special mention because although they're big dogs they're also very gentle. I love this photo of Usko, Pippa and Paxton together, because they're such sweet friends.  For other photos by today's volunteer photographer, Benjamin Po, please check out the album at Puppy Adoption Day 27th Aug 2023. 

Pippa, Paxton and Usko

Sat 26th Aug: Big breeds, medium and small needing homes

Samoyed 

 I'm going to start with some large breeds that we've been asked to take, as well as a reminder of those we already have.  First off, the Samoyed is always popular and although I haven't been given any details I expect (at least very much hope) that there will be at least a few suitable offers.

Husky or Malamute

We already have a sweet husky girl, Yoghurt, but we've also been asked to take another one, although this looks more like a Malamute from the photo. 

Ace found his family today 

While labrador Ace was adopted today, this morning another young labrador arrived, a two year-old male.  The only photo I have to share is of him on top of the shelter where he climbed.  He's a sweet dog, but he was very confused about what was happening and that's why he got up out of the way. 

A new labrador boy 

Springer spaniel 

There's also a dog that looks very much like a Springer spaniel, and I assume that's what it is, although again I only have a photo and no details.  Of course a Springer spaniel is a medium sized breed, but also very active and requiring a lot of exercise. 

The last dog is a handsome mix, one I have nicknamed The Hairy Dog for the time being.

All of these dogs need homes, but they must be homes that have the space and a suitable environment.  If you're interested please complete the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ please.  We can't keep accepting large sized dogs if we don't create space through adoptions, so if you give any of these dogs a home you're actually saving two lives but giving another the opportunity to come to us. 

Goodbye Halo! 

One of my favourite dogs found a wonderful home today, and I was so happy to see Halo leaving our Kennedy Town North Street Centre.

We also took in more dogs and puppies, but until they've been sorted and photographed I'll hold back on sharing their details. There is one poodle I want to mention though, as this boy has previously had broken legs and he needs a foster home so we can send him to Dr Tony at Acorn to see if anything can be done. 

For fostering please complete the form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/

I've called this poodle Jonty

Fri 25th Aug: Would I want a puppy again?

 I can't help it, I always get excited about weekends and the potential adoptions, even if it means feeling deflated on a Sunday evening when my expectations haven't materialised.  Still, once again, here we are with the weekend ahead, and I'm already imagining which dogs or puppies will be leaving with their new families.

The empty square represents Toyah

I should mention the three "T" pups, because the adopter of Toyah-now-Sunny, the first and only lucky one of the litter so far, sent us an update letting us know how well she was doing: "Sunny is amazing , she is two steps from toilet trained and she's also got her own sofa now, plus a hand-me-down toy mountain. Someone needs to adopt her siblings, I’ve never had such a laid back puppy, and so quick to learn."  

Sunny and her sofa 

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a puppy and to be able to start right from the beginning, but then I look at the remains of the furniture I had back in the old days and think maybe not.  Puppies are sweet, smart, funny and amazing, but they also love to chew on everything!

Still, over the years the whole concept of dog training and understanding of dogs in general has changed so dramatically, and I have also learnt so much, both from my own dogs and from our trainer Cactus.  I read what she says to adopters who have asked for help, many times just about basic behaviour and training, because I know that Cactus keeps right up to date with all of the latest research, and she's happy to share her knowledge.  For example, we talk about the need for a dog to be able to exercise properly, but exercising the brain is just as important.  This is something that Cactus wrote to the adopter of a large and energetic doglet, and remember that every adopter from HKDR receives free support and advice from Cactus as needed.  

"Exploration and sniffing are two great ways for brain and sensual stimulation. It is absolutely good to allow lots of sniffing during her walks or hiking, or just sitting to watch the world go by. You may also use a longer leash to increase her freedom (while still under your management) to explore around. We recommend using harnesses rather than collar-type walking equipment, because the pressure can be distributed around the body instead of solely on the vulnerable neck/throat area. 

During the day, you can play some indoor mental games such as: 

• training basic commands
• treasure hunt (let X stay inside a room and you hide treats in different corners or shelves, then ask X to search)
• stuff food inside food toys (X has to figure out how to get the food)
• snuffle mat (for treats search)
• licking mat (paste food puree on the mat to prompt for licking, which is a great way to relieve stress)

These activities not only consume her brain power, but can also occupy her for a while which can give you some alone time too."

 

Another aspect of understanding dogs is to accept that they are by nature pack animals that live in family groups.  That means that isolating a dog in a room, or a crate/cage, is unnatural for them, and that allowing a dog to live as part of the family achieves the best results all round. Again from Cactus:

"Dogs are highly social animals. A study shows that if given a choice, over 86% of dogs would prefer group sleeping with their family. We also highly recommend including dogs inside human bedroom, not necessarily on your bed, it can be on their own bed on the floor. Dogs usually sleep better and deeper if they are around their humans, which make them less sensitive to the noises outside."

Thurs 24th Aug: Introducing ........

 I just want to introduce some of the newcomers for today, in the hope of course that someone will offer a home, even a temporary one, to the puppies at least, or the blind poodle Samantha. 

As I wrote yesterday many of the dogs that come to us are in immediate need of treatment for one thing or another, and for the small puppies Smartie and Sunshine this isn't a long-term health issue but an infectious skin problem.  They're very young so we need a foster (or forever home) for them together, and without other dogs or young children that they would be in contact with.  

For fostering please complete the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/ and for adoption the form is at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Samantha is blind 

Albert and Amber 

We still have the very cute pair of shiba-corgi pups with the same skin problem, and it's likely that there were together in wherever they were previously kept.  We think this is in some kind of shelter situation, and it seems the dogs are free to mix together. 

There are three "T" puppies from AFCD, siblings of Toyah who was adopted a few days ago.  They're all very sweet and friendly pups, and a perfect age to move to new families.

We also have another set of  "I" triplets staying at our Tai Po Homing Centre for the time being.  Again they're very much ready to move to new forever homes, and are the perfect age to start the next stage of their lives. 

Monday's mystery dog 

We should see several dogs move out over the weekend, or at least I hope so, because yet more new arrivals are due on Monday.  Most of these dogs are small sized, but there is a big hairy dog included in the photos I received, although so far I have no details.  Just keep checking if this looks like the sort of dog that would interest you.

As a reminder of our Homing Centres, which open every single day of the year from 10am to 6pm:

6 Shek Lin Road, Tai Po, New Territories (medium/large dogs)

Shop 4. G/F 4 Brilliant Court, Sai Hong Lane, 28 Praya Kennedy Town, HK (puppies)

Shop 4, G/F, Cheong Yue Mansion, 13-19 North Street, Kennedy Town (small dogs/puppies)

Please note that at the Tai Po Centre the dogs enjoy a free-running session between 1pm and 3pm, so please avoid that period if possible. 

Weds 23rd Aug: The importance of foster homes

Dawn 

 So many of the dogs that come to us need special veterinary treatment, not all as dramatic as Sharlene's of course, but the cost for each one of them is still high.  Today, for example, little Dawn had surgery to remove one blind eye and excess tissue from the area, hernia repair, X-ray for her legs and dental treatment.  These are things that we do to try to ensure that to the best of our knowledge the dogs that are adopted from HKDR are as healthy as possible, or at least have had any potential issues noted and the adopters informed. 

Luckily Dawn is in a foster home where she can recover from her surgery in a safe environment, which makes a huge difference to any dog.  

Mariko was adopted today 

Mariko, an ex-breeder shiba inu, came to us with very large wounds on her body, so she has stayed until everything healed, and today she was ready to go home with her new family.

Little Igloo

Igloo arrived at the same time, a shiba inu puppy with terribly deformed back legs, and we're still waiting to be able to arrange the first surgery because Igloo has had a cough.  Obviously she has to be fully healthy before we can go ahead with having major surgery.  Igloo is also in a foster home so she can recover from both her cough and the surgery when it takes place.

There are so many more cases, each of them essential to treat but at the same time draining our resources, so we're always in need of support to help to cover these vet costs. If you would like to help in this specific way, we have a vet fund you can donate towards  https://hongkongdogrescue.com/vet-fund-donation-form/

We have new small sized dogs and puppies arriving on Thursday, so the whole process of vet checks, vaccinations and whatever else is needed starts all over again.  In addition to support with the vet costs, we also urgently need foster homes! Please complete the foster form if you're able to take in a dog or a pair of puppies for a while: www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.  We will provide everything needed for the foster period including food, bed, bowls and fences.  All we ask is for some space in your home and your time. 

Tues 22nd Aug: Surgeries, adoptions and new arrivals

Clio needs a new place to stay 

 It seems we're always in urgent need of a home or foster for one dog or another, and in this case it really is urgent.  

Clio went to a foster home with another puppy, Judy, when they were young and needed special care following patella (knee) surgery.  For Clio this was both knees, so a long  recovery period was necessary, although she's absolutely fine now.  Last week Judy was involved in an accident after escaping from the dog park and running into the road where she was hit by a car, and she was rushed to Concordia Pet Care.  The damage was bad, a broken pelvis, and surgery outcome unknown, but the foster chose to go ahead anyway, obviously covering the large cost.  Thanks to Dr Elaine's expertise, Judy is now stable enough to go back home, but she needs intensive care if she is going to recover the use of her back legs.  Sadly this means that all time and attention must be directed towards Judy, leaving Clio in urgent need of a new home. She's a year old now, only medium sized at sixteen kilos, and as she has a rather shy personality she would do best with another dog in the home.  If anyone can help, please complete the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/, or for fostering the form is at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.

Sweet Sharlene 

I also want to update on another complex surgery result, this one being for Sharlene's locked jaw.  Professor Steenkamp from South Africa carried out the surgery, which took the full estimated five hours, and I'm very happy to say that it went as well as could be expected.  Sharlene survived and she can now open her mouth, even if not very wide, so now she will stay in hospital for a few days so she can be monitored and given necessary pain relief.  The best part is that when she leaves she will be going to her new forever home, so once again I want to thank everyone who made this very expensive surgery possible by donating towards the cost, including Sharlene's adopter who contributed generously as well offering the promise of a home. 

Violet 

There are two adoption photos to share, as Violet's forever home was confirmed after a very short trial, while one of the recent puppy arrivals from AFCD was also taken home.  This lucky girl is Toyah, now Sunny, and she looks very settled in her new home too. 

Toyah is now Sunny 

Pug Magoo and shih tzu Murphy 

Of course not a day goes by when we don't take in others, and many of these are from the various AFCD Centres.  Today it was two adults who went to Tai Po, and two small dogs for Kennedy Town, a shih tzu and a senior pug.  The shih tzu has a home lined up, so unless we get another very special offer in the meantime he'll be going in a week's time.  The pug, Magoo, has some lumps and bumps which need to be checked out, but a foster home would be perfect for him if an adopter doesn't step forward.

Curry 

Udon 

The two Tai Po dogs are another sharpei, now Curry, and a sweet mixed breed, now Udon. We have SO many lovely dogs waiting at Tai Po, so please remember them if you're thinking about adoption.