Monday, 30 December 2024

Mon 30th Dec: Big moves coming up in 2025

 For obvious reasons it's been quite a slow period for adoptions, with so many people away or busy celebrating the holiday weeks.  Staff member Eva has been busy putting together the end-of-year compilation of adoption photos, as well as the total for the month and 2024, and I look forward to the happy reminder of those lucky dogs and puppies who found their forever families.  This will be Eva's last contribution as she's leaving HKDR to start the next phase of her life, so as well as wishing her all the best we'll be welcoming a new face very soon. 

Even if there have been fewer than usual adoption stories to share this week, we have had quite a few visitors to the Homing Centres in Kennedy Town and Tai Po, and with so many to choose from it's hard to pick just one.  As I always say, two dogs is half the work and double the enjoyment, so we're always especially happy knowing that a dog will have a friend to hang out with. 

Looking ahead at 2025, and as I have already mentioned, we will be relocating our Kennedy Town Homing Centres back to Ap Lei Chau after Chinese New Year.  This will mean the re-joining of everyone from Brilliant Court and North Street (in Kennedy Town) to being under the same roof, including the office, making it so much easier for staff, volunteers and potential adopters.  Not only that, but we will be very close to the dog park and the dog-friendly waterfront promenade, as well as the MTR (Lei Tung station), so the dogs will be happy too. 

From a financial point of view, it's obviously more cost-effective running one single space as opposed to two, and the monthly outgoings (especially rent) will be reduced.  However we still have to find the money for the refurbishment of what is now just a shell of a building, and this is why we have been back-and-forth about making the final decision to move.  We will have to ask for contributions from sponsors and supporters to help with what will be a big financial one-off outgoing, and hope that we will at least manage to reach the minimum one million dollars needed.  Any help with this will of course be very much appreciated, and if you would like to donate.  

Account name with HSBC - Hong Kong Dog Rescue Limited
Account no. - HSBC - 741-263776-838 
You can also do the transfer with other options in this link .
https://hongkongdogrescue.com/donate/one-off-donations/

I'm sure we'll be sharing photos of the new space as soon as we take it over, and it's always fun to watch it taking shape even though we'll be keeping things very basic unless we get enough coming in to build what we'd really like to have. 

Tuesday, 24 December 2024

Tues 24th Dec: Merry Christmas everyone!

 Yes, Christmas has finally arrived, and I hope everyone will be enjoying the day, even if for no other reason than it's a holiday. Of course, at HKDR we're open for business as usual, whether it's just cleaning and feeding, walking the dogs or handling adoptions, just like today when the surrendered golden retriever left Tai Po with her new family, and shiba inu Tomo was also chosen at Kennedy Town. 

The Homing Centres at Tai Po and Kennedy Town are also open to receive gifts for the dogs (and the hard-working staff)  if you're in the vicinity, and we're always more than happy to be able to share the treats that have been donated. 

Please head over to our Facebook Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR) and Instagram @hkdr_official to check out all of the happy posts, as well as photos of our gorgeous dogs-in-waiting. 

I'm excited about the coming year and our move back to Ap Lei Chau, and I'll be keeping you updated about that as it happens.

Happy Christmas everyone!


Friday, 20 December 2024

Fri 20th Dec: You can make a world of difference to a dog in need

 With another busy and sometimes drama-filled week almost over, we have just a few days left until Christmas, and then the New Year.  Just as another reminder, we open every single day of every single year, so whether you're looking to adopt or come to walk the dogs as a volunteer, you're very welcome. 

Our Homing Centres are open from ten in the morning until five o'clock in the afternoon, and although staff are there earlier and later, we do ask that you stick to our designated hours visiting hours.  Dogs need to be fed, given medication as appropriate, and readied for the night before staff can leave, so if potential adopters turn up just as our official hours are ending it means everything has to be delayed and the staff can't get home until late in the evening. 

We took in some new dogs from AFCD today, one of which was the French bulldog Norton, whose very sad story was shared on our social media pages.  He's been previously adopted and everything seemed to be going well, until AFCD informed us that he had been surrendered to them.  I immediately contacted the now ex-owner to ask why, but he has steadfastly refused to answer the simple question.  Thankfully Norton was offered a foster home as soon as he arrived, so he'll be spending his Christmas in a loving family environment. 

Ruffle was another very sad story about a dog who was adopted from us as a puppy, and (as we later found out) led a very unhappy life before the then-owner asked a vet to put Ruffle to sleep.  The good part is that since coming to us at our Tai Po Homing Centre, Ruffle is having what is almost certainly the best time of her life, and she's made dog friends as well as humans.  It's bitter-sweet to see videos of Ruffle playing and enjoying attention from staff, because she has missed out on her early years and endured a horrible situation.  It's amazing how dogs can put such things in the past so quickly. 

The other new dogs from AFCD are mixed breeds, also now staying at Tai Po, and although we don't know how or why they ended up being abandoned I imagine they also have very sad stories to tell.  They were both found as strays and are very friendly. 

We also accepted a shiba inu boy (now Tomo) who had been a puppy when confiscated as a smuggling case, and subsequently kept at AFCD for three years!!  He's also a friendly boy, but obviously not toilet trained given his kennel life. 

You see, unless coming to HKDR as a puppy, every dog has their own story to tell, and they all deserve a better life moving forward.  I'm sure everyone who reads my blogs either has a dog, or has had at some time, and if you try to imagine how your dog would feel at suddenly being abandoned at AFCD, on the street, or even worse in the hills, then you can appreciate how the dogs that come to us are feeling when they first arrive.  Life at our Homing Centres can be overwhelming at first as there are so many other dogs, but for the majority they will quickly accept their new situation, and perhaps even enjoy the companionship, and love from our staff and volunteers. 

Please don't think that being a rescue dog means there's something wrong, or there are inevitable behaviour issues, because for the most part the dogs are simply victims of circumstance.  As you probably know, the dogs that came to stay with me on Lamma were those that were too shy or too scared to cope with life at the Homing Centre, with a few having some issues that meant they weren't suitable for adoption.  Being a part of their rehabilitation, and seeing them transform into the happy characters that they have become, is incredibly rewarding, but these are the exceptional cases and most only need a home and a family to blossom.  Please give them a chance, and be what makes the world of difference to a dog who deserves a second chance. .  

Friday, 13 December 2024

Fri 13th Dec: New dogs and happy adoptions

 With less than two weeks to go until Christmas, can I suggest you take advantage of the gift-buying opportunity on Saturday by heading to Kennedy Town to check out the great items we have for sale.  Remember that not only are the clothes, caps and calendars etc useful, but you'll also be supporting our rescue efforts when you buy.  

🎄 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲!📍 𝗢𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝘁!
Get into the holiday spirit while helping shelter dogs at Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR)! We’re hosting a special Christmas charity sale this Saturday! ✨
🗓 𝟏𝟒 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 (𝐒𝐚𝐭)
🕑 𝟐𝐩𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝟒𝐩𝐦
📍 𝐎𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬 - 𝐍𝐨. 𝟏𝟗, 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭, 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐇𝐊
Discover our unique holiday gifts and merchandise, and shop for a good cause!
‼️The last batch of 2025 desk calendar (illustrated by The Art of Bonnie Pang ) will be available at the sale! Limited stock, so act fast!

You could also combine your shopping with a visit to our Homing Centre, where we have so many gorgeous little dogs waiting to meet their forever families, including four new arrivals who came today.  Three of these are very small, tiny really, with the two poodles and one mini pinscher weighing just 2-plus kilos, a perfect size for many.  Please remember to complete the questionnaire before dropping by to meet them though, and you can find it at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Our already-resident mini pinscher, Urban, was adopted today, and as he was such a popular boy, we're hoping the new girl, Pocket, won't be waiting long before she also leaves the Homing Centre.

I also wanted to mention another adoption, because this was a perfect example of a dog being labelled problematic when the problem was actually the home and the humans.  Kinsey was adopted not long after she came to us, but within a day she had (been allowed to) run into a road where she was hit by a car.  Eventually the adopters returned her, complaining that she couldn't be toilet trained, and she went to a lovely foster home who introduced her to a new family.  Kinsey was quickly adopted, re-named Sally, and she is perfect in every way, including her toileting.  This is why we prefer to take a dog back if things aren't working out, because it's far better than leaving a dog in a home where it's obviously unhappy. 

I made a mistake when I mentioned another event taking place this weekend, because it's actually both days at Whiskers N Paws, Saturday and Sunday.  That means you don't have to miss out if you're busy on one of the days, and our regular Puppy Party will also be taking place as usual on Sunday, from 2pm to 4pm. 

We're always being asked if we can accept more dogs that are losing their homes for one reason or another, and we try to take in as many as we can bearing in mind the space limitations.  Of course there are certain breeds that we know will quickly find a new home, one of those being golden retrievers.  Today we were asked if we could find a new home for a 2 year-old female GR, so although she isn't with us yet if you're interested in this dog please complete the questionnaire.


Tuesday, 10 December 2024

Tues 10th Dec: Lots of events, and lots of dogs

 There are too many really sad dog stories these days, although newly arrived Ruffle is doing so well at our Tai Po Homing Centre that we could even consider this to be a happy story now.  It really goes to show that it's never the dog that's the problem, it's the home, the people, or the situation that causes issues. This is why not every application to adopt is successful, and it's not because the dog won't be loved, it's just that there are certain things that dogs need which go beyond just having a home.  In these cases we suggest becoming a volunteer, and probably most of our volunteers choose this way to be with dogs when their lifestyle isn't suitable for having a dog at home full time.  

We took in two new dogs from AFCD today, one a 4 year-old French bulldog boy and the other a 1 year-old mixed breed.  He's now called Smokey because his sad story is that he was rescued from a house fire and taken to AFCD, after which he was reclaimed by his owner - who subsequently threw Smokey out on the street!  Unfortunately, as in the case of so many dogs with irresponsible owners, Smokey already has heartworm which will need to be treated.

As I mentioned, we'll be holding some Christmas sales in the run-up to the 25th December, so you can pick up all those gifts for dog-loving friends and family. 

🎄 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲!📍 𝗢𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝘁!
Get into the holiday spirit while helping shelter dogs at Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR)! We’re hosting a special Christmas charity sale this Saturday! ✨
🗓 𝟏𝟒 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 (𝐒𝐚𝐭)
🕑 𝟐𝐩𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝟒𝐩𝐦
📍 𝐎𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬 - 𝐍𝐨. 𝟏𝟗, 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭, 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐇𝐊
Discover our unique holiday gifts and merchandise, and shop for a good cause!
‼️The last batch of 2025 desk calendar (illustrated by The Art of Bonnie Pang ) will be available at the sale! Limited stock, so act fast!
Every purchase will help raise funds for our furry friends in need. Let’s come together to make this holiday season brighter for the dogs at HKDR! 🐕

There's also going to be a party at Whiskers N Paws this coming Sunday to benefit HKDR, if you would like to mark the day down in your calendars.  You can also meet some of our smaller available dogs, as well as the puppies who are there every Sunday anyway. 


Sunday, 8 December 2024

Sun 8th Dec: When coming back is the best thing

 December is like the summer when it comes to adoptions, because holidays are coming up and so many people are planning to head off to other countries and don't want to bring a new dog home.  That's understandable of course, and quite right, but it's still frustrating when there are so many gorgeous little girls and boys at our Kennedy Town Homing Centres, still waiting for their special day.  Not everyone leaves Hong Kong for Christmas and New Year, so for those of you who will be staying, the holiday period could be just the right time to adopt.  I've been raiding volunteer Harryn's Facebook page again for some photos, and you can also check the full list of available small dogs here  Small dogs available for adoption (Kennedy Town- Dec2024) .

At least Yorkie puppy Devon left with her new family, and she has another ex-HKDR dog to teach her how things work in the home.  

Another new dog arrived at our Tai Po Homing Centre today, one I'd briefly mentioned in my last post but held back on the details until she was actually with us.  This girl was adopted from HKDR as a young puppy, and as always our trainer, Cactus, followed up with the offer of free help and support, as well as the basics that would need to be done, such as vaccinations and licensing, as well as desexing later on.  What we subsequently found out was that nothing was done, and that the adopter was frequently out of Hong Kong and would just pass the dog to anyone during these periods.  As a result Ruffle became very insecure and frightened, never knowing where she would be living or with whom.  We know that some of these "homes" were not nice either, and in the end the adopter contacted a vet to have Ruffle killed.  The vet was also an adopter of two HKDR dogs, so knowing that Ruffle had come from us we were asked if we would accept her back, and of course the answer was yes. 

As much as we're always hoping for new forever homes for our dogs, in Ruffle's case coming to Tai Po was the best thing that had happened to her in her life, because we can start again and show her that people can be kind, and that she has nothing to be afraid of.  Hopefully it won't take too long before she will start to enjoy play with other dogs, and the attention of staff and volunteers. 

Thursday, 5 December 2024

Thurs 5th Dec: From the streets to safety

 We hear so many awful stories about dogs and their lives, even worse when they have been adopted from HKDR and then end up needing to come back for one reason or another. One such dog is due to be returned on Friday, although "returned" is the wrong word when we're talking about a puppy that was adopted years ago and has suffered emotional abuse for so long.  I don't know what mental condition the poor dog will be in at this stage, but I'll write more about the story once she's safely back with us. 

Many of the dogs are picked up from the street, having been thrown out by their owners, licensed or not, when they have become too troublesome.  For example we will be taking in a young French bulldog boy from AFCD next week, found as a stray and with a happy and friendly nature.  His issue is that he needs daily eye drops, obviously too much bother for some.

The super-sweet poodle boy that also came from AFCD, and again was picked up from the street, has clearly been treated like a baby from puppyhood and the result is that he behaves like one.  He is clingy and needy for cuddles, which while sweet in a way this is not how a dog should behave.  Zorro is still young so he can learn new behaviour like how to enjoy walks and play with other dogs, but treating a puppy like a doll (before throwing it out) is just another form of cruelty. 

We have another older puppy, a Yorkshire terrier girl, who has been held at AFCD since she was a young puppy and part of a cruelty case.  The system requires that all such puppies or dogs are held as evidence until the case is heard in court, so poor Devon has basically been a prisoner for many months.

Miniature Pinscher Urban was also found on the street, without a microchip so without any back story.  You can see his photo here, as well as the many other Kennedy Town dogs that are available: Small dogs available for adoption (Kennedy Town- Dec2024) 

What's clear in all of these cases (and there are too many to detail) is that people buy puppies when they have no idea how to take care of them, or anything about dogs in general.  Education is obviously important, but the truth is that not everyone wants to listen.  Dogs are intelligent and emotional animals that by nature live in family groups, yet so many lead miserable and solitary existences.  Not long ago I received a message from someone who was complaining about the fact that we required all potential adopters to complete a questionnaire, and how she wasn't prepared to do that.  Quite simply, with no information about a potential home we wouldn't let any dog be adopted, and even then it's no guarantee that a dog will be safe and well cared for (see first paragraph). Thankfully the majority of our adopters are kind and honest, and they love their dogs, but those that slip through the net are always upsetting.

The happy news is that border collie girl Oona has found a new home.  She was also from AFCD, surrendered at just a year old when her owners left Hong Kong and didn't want to take their dog with them. 

Also leaving our Tai Po Homing Centre after a short stay was Usher, one of the small-medium sized "overflow" dogs that we had to send over from Kennedy Town when we were so crowded there.  Usher is now BaoBao, and he has a wonderful new family who have adopted from HKDR before.

We have so many lovely young dogs, all sizes, and in most cases we really have no idea of why they ended up homeless.  What we do know is that they deserve a second chance, and after so many thousands of happy stories since HKDR was founded in 2003, we also know that given the chance these dogs make perfect family members.  Please take the first step of completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ if you want to change a dog's life forever.