Sun 31st July: Facing the typhoon

This will be a short and hurried post as I have to leave home early in the morning to get over to Ap Lei Chau with puppies going to typhoon foster homes, grab some supplies and be back home before the Signal 3 goes up and the sampans stop running.  I hope this is another false alarm just like the previous ones, because while for many a typhoon is nothing more than a day off work and a perhaps a stiff breeze, where I am it's something quite different as there are a lot of dogs living outside and the location places me right in the face of the storm.  In fact it can get pretty scary at times.  The Homing Centre at Tai Po is also very exposed being up on a hill and many of the dogs there also have to live outside, so bad weather fosters are very urgently needed.

Justine and Leila hiding during bad weather

If you can help out you will be asked to take the dogs who are very scared of storms rather than choosing one yourself, and our Tai Po team know who they are.  Justine and Biba are two lovely dogs who are in need of at least temporary care, with Justine being particularly terrified of bad weather conditions.

Unfortunately two dogs that were taken from Tai Po yesterday have already come back, and not because of their bad behaviour.  Rocky was returned early in the morning and Bessie, the beautiful German shepherd, turned out not to be good with cats.  There's no way of knowing other than to try, so at least we can add that information to Bessie's profile.

Bessie can't be with cats

There was some good news at Whiskers N Paws with the confirmed adoption of brothers Sooty and Nero who have been in foster for a couple of months now.   Doglet Nando has also gone for a trial, and him leaving the Ap Lei Homing Centre was opportune as puppies Jonas and Wiggle were returned from their foster home and we needed the space.  These two boys are the sweetest pair and anyone looking for a lovely family dog (or two) should meet them.  Their foster did a fantastic job with training and both boys are absolute gems.

Jonas and Wiggle are the sweetest boys

At the last minute sweet doglet Barney was also taken for fostering, and funnily will be staying in the same dog-friendly apartment complex as Nando.

Barney had just got back from Whiskers N Paws when he was taken

Sat 30th July: Hail in Tai Po, sun on Lamma

It turned out to be a very satisfying Saturday despite the rain - and giant hailstones - that affected the New Territories.  It was hot and sunny the entire day on Lamma, and I like to boast that I live on a tropical island that always has better weather, although that doesn't apply during typhoons when I'm always right in the path of the wind.

Sugar ended up at AFCD after having been found wandering in Aberdeen

Sugar was sent to Ap Lei Chau from Tai Po for her adoption interview, which she passed despite a nervous start, so this sweet girl is now in a forever home of her own.

Chocolate, now Jojo, makes three

Lucky Ap Lei Chau resident, blind poodle Chocolate, was chosen to join Mira and Bella, and he already looks very happy and settled.

I only have this early photo of Frankie taken in March

Pug Frankie was confirmed as being a keeper when we had a potential adoption interview lined up for him, and that often happens when the time comes for a foster to give a dog up.  I don't have a recent photo of Frankie, only the one taken when he  was a new boy at our Homing Centre and not looking too good.  I'm sure we'll have updated ones soon.

What does Tony look like now?

Another lucky boy who will be staying in his foster home is puppy Tony, also known as the gremlin pup or Mr. Grumpy.  This funny little guy was taken in as a holiday guest when he had tick fever but he quickly won his foster's heart.  Again I don't have any updated photos and I would love to see how he's growing.

At Tai Po it was Rocky's turn to walk out of the gates on his way to a foster home, and hopefully this too will turn into an adoption.  Whether or not it does it's a good time for any dog to be leaving the Homing Centre with a possible typhoon on the way this coming week.  If anyone can take in a guest for the duration of the bad weather please let Cindy know (foster@hongkongdogrescue.com), and I am also in need of puppy fosters for the Lamma pups who live outside.  These are Domino, Sidney, Jenna and new girl Loretta, all of whom will be at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday along with many others.

Rocky (right) didn't even look back

Brothers Jonas and Wiggle will also be urgently in need of somewhere new to stay as they have to leave their current foster home.  These two boys are really a fantastic pair, and they have already been trained in basic obedience and are more than ready to start their new lives.

Jonas and Wiggle are fantastic puppies, already trained and good to go

Fri 29th July: Titus and Barney at schoool

Barney and Titus

We were happy to do an educational talk with a group of YMCA junior campers today. Other than Cactus and regular volunteer Harryn, our 4-legged ambassadors were recent arrivals Barney and schnauzer Titus, both of whom were very popular with the children. This was the dogs' first educational talk and hopefully their last, as we want these lovely boys to be adopted before too long.

Barney and Titus are currently staying in our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre.  (Titus has a "sister" Wendy with whom he is closely bonded so we want the pair to stay together). If you are interested in adopting any of our dogs please complete the Adoption Questionnaire  at http://hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Wendy is Titus's "sister"

Titus loved the children

If everything goes as planned we may have a busy weekend ahead at Tai Po and hopefully a few dogs leaving the Homing Centre. It's been a while since I was able to post some happy adoption photos so I'm more than looking forward to adding some to our album of success stories.

At least we know for sure that one dog will be leaving soon, as Chance had his health certificate issued today in readiness for his flight to Canada.  When Chance first came to us he wasn't in great shape, and I'm not just talking about the missing leg but also that he had heartworm and a very shabby, harsh and dry coat.  He's been with us long enough to have had everything treated, and now apart from a permanent bald patch his fur is soft and healthy and he looks so well and happy.  This final stage in his story will leave behind all unhappy memories of what went before, and it couldn't happen to a nicer dog.

Chance was tired after his busy day

The cone and stitches are history now

Murphy is also now back to his pre-accident ways, albeit minus one eye, after he had the stitches removed today.  He's behaving like nothing ever happened other than requiring to be carried past "that" place where he was bitten, and right now he's yelling at me to let me know it's time to go for a walk.  What Murphy wants, Murphy gets.

Thurs 28th July: Jenna and Sidney

Jenna

I couldn't believe it had been three weeks since I took sharpei-cross siblings Sidney and Jenna out of AFCD, but the date was there in black and white on their vaccination cards so it was time for them to go for the next one.  Jenna is almost a real sharpei as far as her face is concerned, but both are lucky enough to have escaped the excessive wrinkles that can cause so many skin issues throughout their life.  How can I ever forget the little sharpei pup I got from AFCD last year who needed swathes of skin surgically removed so she could function as a dog should.  She's doing fine now, but how crazy is it that dogs are bred to need surgery so they can even see?  Sharpei, chow chow and bulldog are three breeds that regularly need excess skin removed from round their eyes to resolve the condition called entropian which results in the eyelids turning in and the lashes rubbing the eye itself.

Sidney

Talking of eyes, I'd finally had enough of Murphy's nightly drama performance as he went through his full repertoire of complaints, so I took his cone off to see if that would quieten him down.  It seemed it wasn't his stitches that were bothering him, only the cone itself, so we were both relieved to be rid of it.  I'll take him to have the stitches out on Friday and that will be the end of it.  It's clear that his one remaining eye doesn't see too well, but he's fifteen now and I can relate to age-related vision deterioration.

With the weekend looming and the incredible weather continuing, I'm not sure what to expect at the two Homing Centres over the weekend or Whiskers N Paws on Sunday. I can imagine that a day at the beach is very tempting from watching my own dogs plunge into the sea to cool off, but I live in hope that we'll still see adopters coming to meet their new family members.

Weds 27th July: Flag Day for HKDR

Volunteers on the street

It was, of course, our first ever Flag Day today, and thanks again to our volunteers who were up at the crack of dawn to be out and on the streets by seven in the morning.  Thanks also to everyone who donated and bought the flag stickers, and now all that is left to do is the counting and banking - including about a ton of coins!  Andrea Chung, who was the main organiser of this event, told me that it will need a few strong men to carry the coins to the nearest bank.

We get so many enquiries from under-18s during the summer holidays asking if they can volunteer, and while dog walking or being at the Homing Centres is not possible due to the potential risks there are lots of other ways that younger supporters of HKDR can help.  There are self-organised fundraising activities such as the flower sellers, or bake sales, both of which have raised a considerable amount over the past few years. 


A more organised incentive came from Jumpstart Kids, https://nextchapter.com.hk/campaign/jumpstart-kids-book-launch

"Jumpstart Kids had a long discussion about which cause they care about, and their decision was unanimous - they all were so excited to support Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR). Here's the book we're crowdfunding. The more money we raise, the more copies we will print (and more we can raise to support HKDR). Thanks all for your support."

It's been so quiet on the adoption front that I have had no happy news to share although the requests to take in this dog or that continue to come in.  We are really over-capacity both at Tai Po and on Lamma and can't accept every dog that is in need of a place to stay, nor advertise them on our Facebook page.  In answer to the inevitable question of what can be done, all I can say is stop the breeding and buying, and desex, desex, desex.  Every single dog needs to be spayed or neutered to put an end to the endless cycle of unwanted births and deaths, and the greedy breeders.  Never buy a life unless you want to be part of another dog's death. 

Tues 26th July: Getting ready for our Flag Day

Our first ever Flag Day marks another milestone in HKDR history

In anticipation of the typhoon-related rain and thunderstorms that were forecast, I had to make sure that I had stocks of food and water at home as there are no shops within miles of where I live.  It's true that water comes out of the taps but as it's often brown and contaminated with who-knows-what, I have to go against my conservationist principles when it comes to drinking it.  At least the bottles don't go to waste as they make very popular dog toys and there's always a willing taker. Our van driver Michael had to drop off all of the collection bags and stickers for Wednesday's Flag Day (actually morning only) , so other than a quick visit to the office and the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre before a supermarket run, that was my day. In any case I want to spend more time at home in these final days of Hilton's life, although there's little I can do to help him other than just being there.

The old days of walking in the quarry

The first-ever Flag Day for HKDR marks another milestone in our history, and it's funny how the past often pops up to remind me of earlier days.  On a personal level I received a catch-up email from someone I'd worked for in London when I was in my twenties, and today I was sent an updated YouTube link for the film "This Darling Life" (https://youtu.be/cBk_vLarALk)  which was made some years back.  Looking at the short section which I appeared in (starts at 41 minutes if you want to see it) makes me nostalgic for the days when I could walk in the old quarry and the Pokfulam Kennels, not to mention the dogs who are no longer with me.

How times have changed.

Mon 25th July: The MTR is coming to Ap Lei Chau

I can't wait to get that cone off Murphy

It's only been a week since Murphy lost his eye in what I believe to have been simply an accident rather than an intentional attack, but it seems much longer than that.  The stitches in his sewn-up empty eye socket are driving him crazy, and me with it.  All I can hear every night is the sound of scratching on the plastic cone and Murphy moaning, crying, sighing and generally making it very clear that he can't sleep.  So since he was due a rabies vaccination anyway, I took him with me today to see if there was a chance that his stitches could be taken out early and give us both some respite and sleep.

From the first day that I saw Murphy at AFCD (now eleven years ago) he decided that I was his human and that nothing would separate us. He became my shadow and it was inevitable that one day I would bring him home, which of course I did.  When I take him out with me he has to be with me wherever I go and whatever I do, and while it's no problem to have him sitting next to me in the van, I can't do anything else without Murphy tagging along.

He was at my side while I was at AFCD and saw a pet shop employee bringing in the crates stuffed with tiny baby poodles and French bulldogs to be microchipped, and if looks could kill that girl would have dropped dead on the spot.  To see these puppies and know that they would be sold off to anyone who could produce the cash regardless of their ability to take care of a dog, and that many of them would end up being kept in cages and alone all day really upset me.  These puppies are helpless victims whose mothers almost certainly live the saddest of lives, if it can be called living at all. I just wanted to get away from that place and the sight of those puppies as fast as I could, so as soon as I had Murphy's new license in my hand I was in the van and off to Acorn.

Dr Hazel didn't want to take the eye stitches out so soon, which I really know would be the case, but she did clean up the wound and remove all the little scabs that had formed, telling me that might help with the itching (sadly it didn't).  So Thursday is the big day, and I can't wait.

The Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre is just 3 stops from Admiralty

I have mixed feelings about  another upcoming event, and that is the opening of the new MTR stations which will include one very close to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre (the station is called Lei Tung). It's inevitable that the arrival of the MTR will change the small island of Ap Lei Chau dramatically, and we are already seeing that in Main Street where a new, upmarket residential building is halfway through construction.  Rents will rise and the character of the area will undoubtedly be lost before too long, just as the MTR has changed other places like Kennedy Town. On the flip side, it will be very easy for staff, adopters and volunteers to get to our Homing Centre, so we will have to take the good with the bad.