Thurs 5th Sept: A quickly passing typhoon

 I wasn't surprised that the two bichon frise girls were quickly adopted, as there had been a lot of interest in them even though they're five years old.   So now with Miffy and Mimsy off the available list, I'm expecting the younger boy Tucker to be leaving pretty soon too.  In fact I don't know why he hasn't already been adopted. 

There have also been some enquiries about the pair of golden retrievers that will soon become homeless. Understandably most potential adopters want to foster first, or have a trial, but in these situations it's not possible,  because if for any reason it doesn't work out the dogs will have nowhere to go except the Tai Po Homing Centre.  

As much as we do what we can to make life as good as it's possible to be under the circumstances, the Tai Po site is a very scary place for most new arrivals as there are literally hundreds of dogs staying there, and during the week just a handful of staff and a few volunteers to take care of them.  For older dogs who have previously been staying in a home, it can be traumatising, and in general most dogs just do what they can to cope with this kind of life.  It means shutting off and closing down their natural behaviour, and it's only once they are settled in new homes again that we see their full personalities blossom again.  People who want to surrender their dogs to us seem to have no idea of what they're going to be subjecting their dogs to, having some fantasy in their minds of a sweet temporary place to stay until another home is quickly found.  The reality is that most mixed breed adults will never find a new home, however hard we try to promote them. 

For those dogs that are lucky enough to be popular breeds, like the two bichon frise girls, there's also the again understandable request from potential adopters that they wait until the dogs have been to the vet for a health check.  We had actually arranged for this to be done in the afternoon, before the now-adopter took both dogs and said she would arrange their vet appointment herself.  So the other would-be adopters who had already met Miffy and Mimsy and liked them have missed out.  Our Homing Centres are always so full that if a good home is offered immediately, then we don't hold any dogs for other potential adopters. 

There was another lovely adoption today, and the fact that it was a senior made it all the more heartwarming.  This was a ten year-old bulldog, who has joined another ex-HKDR bulldog (Norton) in his home, and both seem to be happy with the situation. 

With the weekend approaching and the typhoon having quickly passed, I hope that we'll be seeing a lot more dogs being adopted (I know, I always have the same hope).  If you're interested, please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/. Thank you.