There's been so much happening this month, as well as me being away for a week, so I haven't had time to write much. We have new dogs arriving continuously, with many more surrender requests and messages from the four AFCD Centres asking if we can accept dogs and puppies from them as well. I read the posts from the other dog rescue groups that I know, and everyone is under the same strain and stress of being completely full but desperately wanting to help those innocent animals in need. An ignorant comment under one such post about two old dogs that were becoming homeless suggested that the dogs should be "set free" out in the countryside somewhere. I'm not even going to mention the area as too many dogs are abandoned there, almost of all whom will die or be killed very quickly, but for 14 year-olds it would mean absolute certain death.
As much as I blame the government for their lack of dealing with the problem by providing a desexing programme for all homeless dogs, just as other countries do, the blame also has to lie with dog owners who have no understanding of the commitment of bringing any animal into their home. There are some genuine cases, but for the most part the problem is simply that people don't think past the next year or so instead of the 15+ years that is the average lifespan of a domestic dog. Finding homes for puppies is hard enough, but adult large sized mongrels (mixed breeds) are exceptionally lucky if they're chosen for adoption. In almost every case these dogs will live out their lives in a shelter somewhere.
Smaller adult dogs are luckier simply because most Hong Kong homes don't have the space for a large dog, so we're able to take in far more dogs at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre than at Tai Po. Many of these dogs are young, just a year or so old, and very friendly. Even so, our Centre is jam-packed with furry bodies just waiting for their lucky day.
Six of these are puppies that had been staying with me on Lamma for the past three weeks, and while they were very timid when they first arrived (and with very patchy coats), they're growing into very sweet and funny 4 month-olds. Come and see the "S" litter at Ap Lei Chau if you're looking for a small-to-medium sized puppy.
Of course taking care of the dogs, many of whom need extensive surgery or health care when they arrive, means working to bring in the funds to cover the costs, and Yannie is the staff member in charge of this side of the charity. We have our Flag Day coming up, which is an annual event, while there are always one-off opportunities to bring in much-needed funds.
We've also updated our Life Saver Club information, a monthly sponsorship programme which can be as little at $200 a month. Please check it out on our website, as well as the dogs that are available and eagerly waiting for their new homes. You can take a look at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/dogs/ for photos and details.
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