Mon 23rd Feb: New puppies, and adoptions

With the Chinese New Year holidays finally over it's time to get back to the normal routine again, which will hopefully mean more families ready to bring a new four-legged addition into their home.  We have so many to choose from, all sizes and age, and I was (sadly) reminded when looking through the photos of the Tai Po dogs shared on our HKDR Facebook page, that many came to us when they were just babies.  Their siblings will have been adopted, but there always seems to be one leftover for no reason other than bad luck or timing, and it's a reminder that life can be very unfair.  We never lose hope that these lovely dogs will get their chance one day, but until then we promise to do our best for them.

This includes outing whenever possible, such as the traditional CNY Hike with volunteers, and everyone had a wonderful time in fantastic weather. 

 It must be puppy season again, although I think that's pretty much all year round really.  We had two requests to accept young pups over the weekend, and while we can't agree to every such request, as we happen to have the space at the moment we agreed to take a litter of six as well as a lone puppy girl.  They're too young to be adopted as singletons, but we need foster homes (in pairs), so if you can help please start by completing the foster form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.  

At HKDR we provide all foster parents with everything that's needed in terms of food, beds, bowls and fencing, so we just ask that a safe and comfortable space is provided until the puppies can be adopted. 

I'm always happy to write about adoptions, and as usual these usually take place at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, 13-15 Wai Fung Street, where the puppies and smaller dogs stay. Fergus, Freddie, Buster and Ernest were some of the lucky ones, while Colin was chosen at our Tai Po Centre.

If you're ready to adopt, please complete the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/, thank you. 

Fri 13th Feb: Back after a long break

I hadn't realised it's been a month since my last post, but I've been away and time passes so quickly anyway.  Things have also slowed down quite a bit, as happens every year when Chinese New Year's approaching and so many people are leaving for vacations abroad, or just taking time off at home.   Remember to pick up our HKDR Red Packets while we still have stock!

Fisher, Giselle, Edison, puppy Holly and poodle Felix are some of the smaller dogs that found homes since my last blog, while we took in quite a crowd of new arrivals, both at Ap Lei Chau and Tai Po.  Please keep checking our Facebook and Instagram pages for photos and details of new dogs, or browse the full list at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/dogs/.  

Almost all of the Tai Po dogs are young adult mixed breeds that we've taken from AFCD, and every one is a reminder that while baby puppies are small, cute and adorable, they quickly grow.  While that might sound obvious to most sensible people, it's clear that still too many don't consider this fact when adopting.   Most of my Lamma dogs are now fifteen years old, and that's the length of time you have to consider when bringing a puppy into your life and home.  Smaller dogs generally live even longer, so if you're getting a puppy because your children want one, please think ahead and imagine how old they will be when the dog reaches the end of its natural life. 

Fundraising is an important part of running any charity, and especially when we have so many dogs to take care of on a daily basis, from puppies to seniors.  Whether it's basic feeding, monthly tick, flea and heartworm prevention, or expensive vet visits and surgeries, we can never sit back and relax.  Staff also need to be paid, as well as rents, and even though we keep everything to a bare minimum it all adds up.   If you would like to support our work, please visit our website at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/donate/ for all donation information, as well as details on our monthly sponsorship options via the Life Saver Club.  Please also consider donating your Lai See back to the dogs and puppies that rely on your generosity while waiting to find their forever families.