Sat 31st Aug: Summer ends

 Another month has passed, bringing us well and truly into the last quarter of the year and hopefully a time for successful fundraising events.  The arrangements for Peak to Fong 2024 have been in the works for a while, and we have secured some great partners to ensure another amazing get-together for Hong Kong's dog fans and their pooches, as well as a new T-shirt to add the the collections from the past.  I think you'll all love this year's design. 

Also very importantly, the autumn means adoption time for many families, so if that means you please keep checking in for news on new dogs, or the many who are already with us.  I know that many readers of my blog do so to check on dog that have just arrived, or will be coming soon, and that includes young bichon frise Jilly, whose photo prompted a lot of interest.  Happily for her she left the Kennedy Town Homing Centre today with her new family, but there are many other lovely and small-sized dogs still waiting, including another young bichon called Tucker.  I really don't know why he wasn't snatched up as soon as he arrived, but in these cases I always feel they're just waiting for the perfect home. 

It was also a lucky day for gorgeous big-eared Almond at Tai Po, as she was chosen by an active couple to join their hikes and adventures.

Malamute Paddington also had his adoption confirmed by his foster parents, even though they said he was the laziest dog they'd ever known! 

Other than the information on all of our available dogs on our website, we have a lot of additional information which is especially useful for first-time dog adopters, and you can check it our here: https://hongkongdogrescue.com/education-training/advices-to-dog-parents/.

It doesn't matter if you have never had a dog before, but just as every new car driver needs to learn about how cars work and the rules of driving, every new dog owner should take the time to learn about dogs BEFORE bringing one home.  Even though every HKDR adopter has free access to our very experienced trainer, Cactus Mok, we see from the questions that are regularly asked about very basic things that many people get the dog or puppy first, and then try to work out what to do. 

As well as having the free advice from Cactus about training and behaviour, all HKDR adopters will also receive a booklet with everything you need to know about bringing your new dog or puppy home, including feeding instructions.  This handy booklet was put together based on the frequently asked questions, so please take the time to read through it. 

I was waiting to post today's update in the hope that I could include the adoptions for August, but as it's a Sunday I might have to wait.  The good news, at least for me, is that I have my new phone up and running, which is a huge relief, so now I just need to update all of my contacts. 

Thurs 29th Aug: A phone disaster and new dogs arriving

 I only realised that my phone was sitting at the bottom of the dogs' water bowl when I got up from the sofa to give them their night time medications, and there it was.  I had no idea how long it had been there but did my best to dry it out, relieved that the screen was still active and hoping that the swimming lesson had been a short one.  However the result the next morning was that although everything seemed to be working, the screen was frozen and I couldn't swipe to access anything, even though I could see and hear the notifications of new messages and updates coming in.  As of this morning (Friday), at first everything was back to normal for a while, but now it seems as though the phone has died completely.  I have a new phone, but I need help with setting it up because the confirmation codes are being sent to the old phone, so for now I'm basically out of contact unless sitting in front of my computer.

In the meantime we've had a lot of new dogs coming in, mostly small or small-medium, and some larger.  Starting with the smaller group, there are four K-Pups, with two of them being very young adults, a year at most, and only Kara being a bit older.

We took in another young adult from AFCD, a bichon girl who's now called Jilly, as well as a black pom girl, now Juniper.  She's an ex-breeder dog and is seven years old.

The two larger dogs were a beautiful black doglet, nine months old and now called Pashmina, as well as a female Doberman, four years.

Luckily another black female had been adopted the other day from our Tai Po Homing Centre, this being Pomelo, who some of you might remember. 

We have also been asked by other AFCD Centres if we will accept more dogs, one of which is a  senior English bulldog.  This is a difficult breed in the sense that they're too big for our Kennedy Town Homing Centre but they also can't stay at Tai Po and live outdoors.  That means we need a home for the bulldog to go to before we can agree to take it in, so if you can offer a space in your home please complete the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire, or the fostering application at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.

Tues 27th Aug: An amazing donation, and how to help without it costing a thing

 It's no secret that HKDR has been struggling financially, with donations drastically reduced and the Covid period having cut off all fundraising possibilities, so we're constantly looking for alternative means of being able to continue to help the dogs. 

With around six hundred dogs at any given time to take care of, our monthly costs are a million dollars every month, and that's a lot of money.  Even though we rely heavily on volunteers to be able to function, there's still a need for full time employees to ensure continuous Homing Centre staffing, as well as the very small office team.  Our Foster Coordinator, Cindy, is a volunteer, while Yannie works two jobs, one at Tai Po taking care of the dogs and the other in the office organising events and educational visits.  

I wrote yesterday that the last few months of the year are vital for fundraising events, but whatever we raise has to last throughout the rest of the year, and it's always a struggle and a concern.  We have to cut out all extras such as treats for the dogs, and hope that there will be enough donations to allow for such non-essentials (although I think the dogs would consider treats to be very much essential!)  

We also rely on other vital donations, one of the most important being the food that we regularly receive from Buddy Bites, and which has cut our feeding costs considerably. Now with their launch of a new range of treats, you can also donate to HKDR for free simply by buying the treats for your own dogs.  For every bag bought during the promotional period, Buddy Bites will donate a bag to HKDR, and all you have to do it to use the code "hkdrtreats" when you put in your order.  Go to https://buddybites.dog/discount/HKDRTREATS?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fdog-treats-1

There are other ways you can donate without it costing you anything, and we have created a new section on our website under https://www.hongkongdogrescue.com/donate/others/, as well as the regular donation information at https://hongkongdogrescue.com/donate/one-off-donations/.

Finally, not only is Terence (Terry) Cope a Tai Po volunteer, HKDR Board Member, and adopter of many of our senior dogs who need a comfortable retirement home on Lantau, he has also been a generous donor over the many years he has been offering his support, going back to the very early days when we were based in Pokfulam.  Today he donated another $1 million in an incredibly generous gesture, giving us breathing space until we can hopefully build up reserves again.  Thank you Terry! 

The new small dogs will be arriving at our Kennedy Town Homing Centre on Wednesday, so we'll be updating with information as soon as we have any.  Please remember there are already many small, medium and large dogs waiting to be chosen, and all they need is a loving home to show how amazing they are.  Check out our website  https://hongkongdogrescue.com/dogs/ to have a look through all of their profiles, and if you see any that you're interested in take the next step of completing the adoption questionnaire at  https://hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Mon 26th Aug: Dogs out and in, and our fundraising efforts

 I can't believe it's almost the end of August, meaning the end of the school holidays and happily the return to Hong Kong of many families who left for the summer.  We always see a drop in adoptions during such periods, so it's good to be able to look forward to what we hope will be a successful few months before the Christmas and New Year slump.  In the end, finding our dogs and puppies new and forever homes is what HKDR is all about, and every adoption is cause for celebration.

Of course we need to keep finding the money to be able to continue our work, and the last quarter of every year is the most important and busy in terms of fundraising.  We have to pack as much into these few months as we can, and this year we have our Flag Day, an  HKDR Charity Market 2024 @The ONE, taking place on September 28-29, 2024, from 12 pm to 8 pm at 100 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (unfortunately without dogs being allowed to attend), and of course our big day of the year, Peak to Fong in November. 

We have some new small dogs due to arrive at our Kennedy Town Homing Centre, while a few have left to make space (thankfully).  The lucky two whose adoptions were confirmed are Holly and Tessa, while we have some in trial adoptions to see that they get along with the resident dogs. 

We don't have any details of the new dogs coming on Wednesday, only some photos which I'll share, and as always if you're interested in adopting please take the first step by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

As a reminder, I have quite a collection of dogs on Lamma, not only the oldies who are well past the adoption stage, but the small and medium sized dogs who for whatever reason couldn't stay at the Homing Centre.  I've got to know (and love) this group, and while it's true that most of them aren't suitable for adoption, being too scared or timid, there are some who are perfect. Shaggy terrier type Simone, for example, is such an affectionate girl that every morning when we head out for our walk, she insists on having a cuddle first. 

You know about Lennox and Lewis, adopted as puppies and then abandoned just a few months later, and they're also very loving and affectionate boys, with Lennox being small and Lewis medium sized.  They love their walks so much that I would say they need a home where they can continue to enjoy free running in a safe environment, which is a definite bonus of living somewhere like Lamma.

We have also been asked to take in two senior golden retrievers, and while normally dogs of this age would be unlikely to find new homes, this is such a popular breed that we hope this pair will be lucky.  Please complete the adoption questionnaire if you can help. 

Sat 24th Aug: A roundup of some lucky dogs

 There's a slight delay in receiving the photos from today's Small Dog Adoption events at Whiskers N Paws, so I'll just have to tell you that terrier Murray was adopted, while corgi cross Milo went for a short trial adoption to see how he gets on with the resident dog. 

There was also another trial adoption for little Annie at Kennedy Town, following the adoption of Tilly, who came to us at the same time as Annie.  Both of these girls would have been at the adoption afternoon, but they were lucky enough to be picked up before the event.

Tiny newcomer Pammy left to go to her new foster home, and hopefully she also won't be coming back.

Terrier Wiska is enjoying the company of dog friends in her new foster home, and I'm happy that she settled so quickly after having to move from her previous foster home.  At the moment she's due to fly to the US in October, but if we can get her on an earlier flight it would be much better for everyone. As much as she's clearly having fun in her new temporary home, we don't want her to feel too upset at being uprooted yet again after more than a month of getting to know her family and the environment. 

As you can tell, the small dogs are usually pretty lucky when it comes to finding new homes regardless of their age or health condition.  Even if some of them have to wait a while, in the end they almost always get the opportunity to begin their lives again in real homes.  Unfortunately, it's the larger dogs, and I'm talking about the mixed breeds here, that have to wait, and even then the chances are that they will end their days at the Tai Po Homing Centre. 

That's why we're all very happy to announce the adoption of Ritzy, who hasn't actually been staying at Tai Po but in a foster home.  Now her parents have joined the Failed Foster Club, an exclusive group of people with one thing in common, a commitment to a forever home for their previously temporary charges. 

Thurs 22nd Aug: New dogs, and the continuing surrender cases

 The two small (actually one very tiny) dogs were picked up from AFCD in the morning, and taken straight to Acorn for a health check.  It's almost impossible to believe, but the smaller of the two, who weighs only two kilos, was found as a stray on the streets and without even a microchip, while the corgi was also an abandoned dog, although with a microchip and an uncontactable owner.  

Prissy, the corgi, is only three years old, and while she has some minor issues she's generally healthy. The tiny girl is now Pammy, and she has an almost non-existent lower jaw, either the result of a fracture or typical dental disease so often found in very small dogs.  We'll have to get Pammy's teeth and jaw sorted out as soon as we can, and in the meantime a foster home would be ideal.  She's so tiny that staying at the Homing Centre would be unfair and completely overwhelming for her. If you can help, please complete the foster form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/, or contact Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com if you are already registered with us.

Rescuing dogs and puppies and seeing them go to their new homes can be very rewarding, but the other side of this work has the opposite effect and is extremely upsetting.  To receive surrender messages, especially the ones saying how wonderful the dog is, how sweet with the children and in every other way, yet knowing that the reward for this perfect behaviour is to be abandoned is heartbreaking.  

Apart from the individual cases such as these, the knock-on effect is that it makes us view each adoption enquiry even more carefully, especially those from people who aren't permanent Hong Kong residents. The ease with which dog owners discard their four-legged family members is very saddening, and our Tai Po and Kennedy Town Homing Centres  are full of such dogs.

It's no secret that flying a dog to another country is very expensive, and as we know from Wiska's case, not easy.   If you can't guarantee that no matter the cost you will always bring your pets with you as part of your family, then don't adopt (or even worse, buy).  Vet costs are also expensive, so you have to take this into consideration too.  I'm going to assume that tiny Pammy was abandoned due to her jaw/teeth issues, but of course we will never know.

Bringing an animal into your home and life is a commitment for around fifteen years, or longer in the case of the smaller dogs.  I have several dogs living with me on Lamma that are sixteen-plus and needing even more care then when they were younger, so I fully appreciate how challenging it can be.  Puppies don't grow up like human children do to be self-sufficient, they stop at the toddler age meaning you will always have to feed them and take care of them.  They are never going to be independent adults, and if you would never consider abandoning your young child because he or she is demanding of your time and a nuisance, then don't do it to your dog. 

Tues 20th Aug: Still raining

 I expect the rain will stop one day, but for now everything is damp and soggy, including the dogs. My clothes all have the same muddy pawprint design these days, especially in the mornings when I take the youngsters out and they all feel the need to jump up on me in excitement.  

We have a few events in the planning stages, including the upcoming Flag Day in October, and you may have seen the posts asking for volunteers for the day.  We'll also be holding an event in September, unfortunately not one that includes dogs, as well as the big Peak to Fong fundraiser in November which I'm sure many of you will be attending.  All of these require a lot of advance planning and work, so it's always a busy period in the office. 

On Saturday we'll be sending a selection of our smaller dogs to Whiskers N Paws from 2pm to 4pm for the Small Dog Adoption event, but other than those dogs that are staying in foster homes you can meet them any day of the week at our Kennedy Town Homing Centre in Brilliant Court, Sai Hong Lane, 28 Praya Kennedy Town.  Please just remember to complete the questionnaire in advance of your visit so we know what you're looking for: www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Other than the recent intake of new small dogs we'll also be picking up another two from AFCD on Thursday.  These are a 3 year-old corgi girl, and a tiny little dog who's probably a chihuahua mix of sorts, also a female.  

We hopefully have a new flight volunteer for Wiska the terrier, who has been offered a lovely home in the USA, but not until October.  In the meantime the current foster parents will be leaving very soon so we're looking for a new foster home until Wiska can get on the plane.  If you can help with the sweet and playful young girl, please complete the foster application form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/. 

Sun 18th Aug: Carrying on despite the rain

 With the rain and thunderstorms over the past few days things have been a bit quiet, at least as far as adoptions are concerned.  Of course that doesn't mean that the staff and volunteers have been taking it easy, in fact far from it, as it makes the work even more challenging, particularly at our Tai Po Homing Centre.  

Our regular Sunday puppy party went ahead as usual, as thankfully we can use the inside space as well as the outdoor terrace if needed.  Eric Tang was the photographer for the day, and as always his photos are beautiful  Puppy Adoption Day 19th Aug 2024 . If you're wondering why there are so few puppies shown, it's because many of them are just a bit too young, or too shy like the new "R" boys, Reggie, Ronnie and Rupert.   Biggles and Bentley are young and very handsome though, and as they're staying full time at Whiskers N Paws you can meet them any day of the week, not only on Sundays.

The recent intake of Rain Babies are almost eight weeks old now, so they'll soon be making their debut too.  Puppies grow and change so quickly, so it's hard to imagine that these helpless foundlings are already moving onto the next stage in their lives. 

We did have a couple of adoptions at Kennedy Town despite the rain, and the lucky dogs were poodle Archie and mixed breed Nesta.  

If you're interested in adopting a puppy, or a small or large adult dog, please complete the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ as a first step.

Tues 13th Aug: Disappointment for Wiska, and new dogs again

 Before anything else, please check out the video on Instagram @wma_hk featuring Yannie, her story and how she started working for HKDR, and why she chose this way of life.  I think you'll enjoy it, as well as giving an insight into the work that we do.

It was a busy day again today, with the four new small dogs going to Acorn for their vet checks, and then to AFCD for licensing.  I was there too because I needed to take out two turtles that had homes to go to, as well as three puppies we'd been asked to accept.  They're all boys and are now Reggie, Ronnie and Rupert.  

Another husky found a new forever home, leaving just one still available.  Rain is a 3 year-old desexed male, and a very friendly boy too.  If you're interested in adopting Rain, or any of our dogs or puppies, please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.  

Usually I'll respond to all messages immediately, or at least on the same day, but I've been tied up with other matters this week, including the urgent need to get everything sorted for terrier Wiska's flight to the USA.  We had an offer from someone who was flying to San Francisco on Korean Air to accompany Wiska, checking her in as excess baggage, which is the cheapest option for flying a dog.  Everything was going ahead full speed until the evening, when the person changed her mind and said she was no longer willing to help (in so many words).  We have all become used to disappointments having had so many over the years, but this was a bit different as there was really nothing for the flight volunteer to do other than turn up at the airport and check in as normal.  So now we need another willing volunteer for Wiska, flying to either San Francisco or Los Angeles, but only on an airline that will accept dogs as excess baggage, which excludes the usual carriers to the West Coast. 

If that's you, and you can guarantee not to have a sudden change of heart, please email info@hongkongdogrescue.com. 

Sun 11th Aug: Happy days for the lucky dogs

 First of all I want to say how lovely it is that when help is asked for there's a heartwarming response, such as on Saturday when I needed to get two Lamma dogs to Acorn for sedation and shaving, and a flight volunteer to get terrier Wiska to California.  We're just waiting for confirmation of the flight and paperwork requirements, but it looks as though Wiska will be flying off to start her new American life very soon, and in the meantime she's gone to a foster home with the same couple who helped out on Saturday. 

The reason there were no Kennedy Town volunteers to spare on Saturday was because we were holding our now-regular bi-monthly Small Dog Adoption event at Whiskers N Paws, and you can see the wonderful photos taken by Tap Momentale (Iris) here:   Puppy Adoption Day 10th Aug 2024  Penny was the day's lucky dog, and even better, her adopters came back on Sunday to bring Tingle home, so it was a delayed double adoption. 

Another two small dogs also found their families, and both were new arrivals to Kennedy Town.  One was very pretty girl August, while the other was poodle Alfie who was taken for a trial to see how he and the resident poodle got along.  From the photos we were sent it looks like it was an instant bond, so while I don't normally share photos or names for trial adoptions, I think it's safe to say this is going to be a confirmed home very soon. 

We have four new small dogs due to arrive on Monday, so keep your eyes open for details if you're interested. 

The huskies have also been lucky in finding new homes, and I believe there's only one still available and currently in foster care.  This sudden group intake created a lot of extra work, especially for Yannie, so it's a huge relief to be able to almost draw a line under the case. 

I hope that the new new arrivals at Tai Po will be as lucky, but as they're not specific breeds the chances are that they will need to wait longer.  When we received the surrender requests for Lala and Bubble (from the same home),  the form stated that the dogs were being left for three days at a time, even if food and water were presumably available judging from their condition. 

There are still a few spots available in our 2025 Desk Calendar, but be quick if you want to have your own dog included:

𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 -〔𝗛𝗞𝗗𝗥 𝘅 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗸 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿〕

Introducing the artist for HKDR’s 2025 Desk Calendar — Bonnie Pang (The Art of Bonnie Pang), an award-winning illustrator and comic artist from Hong Kong. Bonnie is an animal-loving and enthusiastic artist who supports adoption and our rescue work. It’s our pleasure to collaborate with Bonnie. Don’t miss the opportunity to have your beloved dogs illustrated by Bonnie and enjoy her wonderful art throughout 2025!

Most importantly, all proceeds from the calendar will be going towards the 600+ dogs in HKDR awaiting a forever home. Please support us!

𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮-𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙙 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩: From 2Aug to 31Aug 2024, you can pre-order a desk calendar and enjoy an Early-bird price at $150!

𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘄! https://hongkongdogrescue.com/hkdr-2025-desk-calendar.../

Thurs 8th Aug: Some personal help needed

 As you know, my Lamma base is home to many of the dogs who for whatever reason couldn't stay at our Homing Centres, as well as some of the original dogs from way back, before we had anywhere else for them to go.  Some of these dogs are very timid, as well as having long coats that need to be trimmed, but that's not possible given their temperament.  That's why over the past couple of months I've been taking such dogs to Acorn to have them sedated so they could be shaved, and this Saturday I have an appointment to take one or two more for their drastic haircuts.  However, I can't manage this on my own as we don't have a van and driver on Saturdays, and I can't lift the crates with the dogs inside by myself. Of course we can arrange for a van, but the drivers don't help with the lifting, so I need assistance from anyone who can meet me at the sampan drop-off location near Aberdeen at 2.30pm, perhaps help with the shaving itself (but that's not really necessary), and then the same in reverse, leaving Acorn at around 4pm.  As we are holding out bi-monthly Small Dog Adoption event at Whiskers N Paws this Saturday, volunteers that could potentially help aren't available, so if there's anyone reading this who can spare the time, and is fit enough to be able to lift a dog-filled crate with me, please let me know.  You can email me at sallyandersen@hongkongdogrescue.com, or leave a message on this post.

Since I'm asking for help, I will mention the turtles again, because there are so many at AFCD (in Pokfulam), and I mean really a lot.  They're all sizes, but bear in mind that small turtles grow into large ones, and they live for a long time.  In fact that's where there are always so many thrown out, because they grow too big for their small tanks.  These turtles are all red-eared sliders, the type that you can buy for a few dollars in the market, and sadly very few live out their lives in good homes. Again, please email me or leave a Facebook message if you can offer a home to one or more turtles. 

There's another different kind of help needed, and this is for terrier Wiska who's been offered a home in the USA by a couple who have previously adopted from HKDR.  To make this possible we are looking for someone who's flying to California, either Los Angeles or San Francisco, and who can take Wiska along as excess baggage.  The catch is that many airlines are now not allowing excess baggage, so we have been recommended to use Korean Air.  It's a long shot but is there possibly anyone who can help? 

The huskies, as well as a Malamute from AFCD, have all thankfully found foster homes, so at least they're not at the Tai Po Homing Centre in the terrible heat.  The large number of huskies coming at the same time has created a huge amount of extra work for everyone, but particularly the Tai Po team who already have so much to do on a daily basis as it is.   

If you're able to offer a permanent home to a husky, please complete the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/, but please be sure that you have the space and time, as well as good air conditioning, to be able to care for a cold-weather dog. 

Tues 6th Aug: Huskies, poodles, and the lucky letter "P"

 These past couple of days have quite insane, as Yannie and I have been trying to handle the offers of homes, foster and permanent, for the large number of huskies that have been arriving, or are due to come in the next few days.  The first of the family of four, being a mother husky and her three sons, was the first to leave for foster care after a vet check at Acorn today, and inevitably all of the huskies tested positive for heartworm.  

I can't say enough times that if you don't give your dog heartworm prevention in whatever form you choose, the chances of infection are extremely high since the disease is carried by mosquitoes.  If left for a long time the worms in the heart can have serious health effects (not surprisingly), so thankfully the huskies are young enough that there shouldn't be any long-term damage. However the treatment takes a long time, starting with pre-treatment preparation, and then the post-injection period when the dead worms start to break down and have to be assimilated. During the month or six weeks following the treatment, exercise must be kept to a minimum, so the only good thing I can see is that the current intense heat would make long walks impossible anyway. 

Apart from the very kind offers we've been receiving for the huskies, and one malamute, two very lucky puppies left our Tai Po Homing Centre with their new families.  These were Pluto and Potato, so it seems that "P" was a lucky letter.  

Over at Kennedy Town we took in four new dogs, two young poodle boys and two mixed-breed girls.  We'd also accepted another young poodle over the weekend, and his name is now Polo.  He came to us without a microchip so after his vet check he went to AFCD to be licensed.  I was there at the same time with the two ex-HKDR dogs, Lennox and Lewis, to start the process of having ownership changed to my name.  This takes a long time because the registered owner, who adopted the pair as puppies, left Hong Kong in a hurry and his whereabouts are unknown.  Regardless of the legal paperwork, I have to say that both Lennox and Lewis are fantastic boys, very sweet natured and affectionate, as well as well behaved.  They don't have to be adopted as a pair, so if you're looking for a small (Lennox) or medium-sized (Lewis) new family member, please bear them in mind. 

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

If you would prefer to foster instead, the form is at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.

Sun 4th Aug: Huskies and turtles

I'm still not able to include photos in my blogs for some reason, so I have to attach them to the Facebook posts.  Apologies to those of you who aren't on Facebook so can't see the photos, but I have no idea what's happened or how to fix it. 

It's always good to be able to tie up a group case, whether it's a litter of puppies or several dogs from the same home or situation coming in together, like the chihuahua family.  Their owner had been keeping chihuahuas in her home and not desexing them, which inevitably meant that they were breeding.  At the time of the surrender request there were twenty tiny dogs, and although were asked to take ten, which we agreed to do, two had been given away by the time they arrived. This weekend the last two found their new homes, with Ricky going on Saturday and Ranger today, so this particular file has been closed, assuming that the chihuahuas still with the previous owner aren't busy producing more babies. 

With the smaller dogs and puppies, the group intakes aren't so much of a problem when it comes to finding new homes.  It's a different story for the large dogs, however, and I've mentioned the many surrender requests we're received for huskies over the last weeks. Luckily we have a couple of potential homes for huskies now, so we agreed to accept two from one home (a very urgent case as it turned out), and one from another, and they'll be arriving at our Tai Po Homing Centre on Monday.  Of course we don't know for sure if the adoption enquiries will end up as adoptions, and there are still more huskies needing new homes so please get in touch if you can help.  It's so hot at the moment, and it's extremely difficult for these cold-weather dogs to have to live outside. 

One of the huskies that was being given up because of a new human baby in the home won't now be coming to us.  The reason is that the dog wasn't desexed and nor had he been on any heartworm prevention, meaning that the likelihood of him having heartworm was quite high.  We asked the owner to have him tested for heartworm, or at least pay for us to have him tested (and desexed), but she said she was too busy, didn't have the time, and didn't want to pay anything. With so many other dogs on the waiting list to come to us, we ended up bypassing this poor dog in favour of the other huskies, especially as HKDR is already facing serious financial issues and we are the charity, not the owners of the dogs who are being ejected from their homes. 

I also want to give a shoutout once again for another very large homeless group, this time turtles that are sitting at AFCD in miserable conditions.  There are at least fifty of them, quite possibly as many as a hundred, and if I can help any of them find homes that would mean a lot to me. I know lots of people keep turtles, sadly not always in suitable environments, so I'm looking for homes with either large tanks, or even better real ponds.  Please email me at sallyandersen@hongkongdogrescue.com if you are in a position to give a turtle or two a forever home. 

Jimmy Tsang was the volunteer photographers for the Whiskers N Paws Puppy Party  Puppy Adoption Day 4th Aug 2024, and he was there to record the adoption of gorgeous little Minty. 

Fri 2nd Aug: The inevitable result of heavy rain

 I've been having a lot of bad luck with my electrical appliances recently, with everything breaking at the same time.  A new split air conditioner that I had installed earlier in the year has already stopped working, along with a washing machine and hot water heater. The downside of living on Lamma means there are no repair options, even if the guarantee is still valid, and having to replace almost-new items is more than frustrating.  At least the currently hot weather means cold showers are actually very pleasant, but that's not the point.

I don't know if it's better to have constant rain or very hot and sunny weather, but one inevitable result of the recent heavy downpours is that we were asked if we could find foster homes for three "Rain Babies" who had been washed out of their nests.  In fact these three were the only survivors from two separate litters, the other pups having drowned before they could be rescued.  We had an immediate offer of help from one of our adopter-fosters, so you could say these pups are actually very lucky.  Not only have their lives been saved, but they won't grow up as hillside strays.

The previous five newborns are four weeks old now, so it won't be too long before they're at the age when they're ready to be adopted.  Funnily this litter are all girls, while the three new foundlings are all boys, so there's a choice of both sex and colour if you're looking for a young puppy to adopt.

You must know the adoption procedure by now if you regularly read my blog, and it starts with the completion of the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.  Unfortunately even though we try our best to be sure that the adopters fully understand the commitment of bringing a dog into the home, not every adoption works out, and in those cases we prefer to take the dog or puppy back so we can find a more suitable situation.  

One recent case was that of Yorkie-cross Muffin, whose adoption was confirmed after a trial as there was another Yorkie in the home, but now it seems the two dogs really don't like each other.  That means we need a new home for Muffin (a girl), although she will stay in her current home until we find a new family for her.