Weds 7th Sep: Beware of leptospirosis

Clyde says yep, this is MY family

I'm thinking of changing the name of our Homing Centre to Noah's Ark if this rain doesn't stop soon, but at least it didn't prevent a lovely family coming to meet the dogs at Tai Po and leaving with sweet and beautiful Clyde.  The photo says it all really, a happy dog proudly showing off that he has been chosen.  This is such a great moment for all of us, as well as each dog that is lucky enough to be picked out from so many to find that loving and forever home.  Thank you to each and every person or family who chooses to give a dog a second chance rather than supporting the horrible pet trade by buying.

Apart from the obvious misery of the non-stop rain there has been another side effect which has resulted in the tragic deaths of previously healthy dogs as they fell victim to leptospirosis.  I don't know if it's an actual fact, but it seems to me that every year there are more cases and in  different locations.  In previous years the disease, which is spread via the urine of rats, was found mostly in the Peak and Pokfulam areas, carried down from the mountain via the many streams.  Now I'm hearing of cases, and deaths, in Sai Kung and other areas, and although specific leptospirosis vaccinations are available which cover other strains not included in the basic 5-in-1 vaccinations, I would highly recommend staying away from fresh water sources rather than relying on such vaccinations.  Some of the dogs who have died had been vaccinated so it's not foolproof by any means.  My heart goes out to those who have lost their beloved dogs so suddenly and horribly, and it's just not worth the risk.

At this grooming workshops dogs were also participants

On Saturday our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre Manager, Iris Wu, held a Grooming Skills Workshop which included both owners and their dogs. This was the first time we have invited dogs to join an entirely hands-on grooming class where Iris demonstrated practical skills such as shaving,  brushing teeth and nail trimming. She had also prepared individual sets of basic grooming tools for all participants to use during the workshop and also as a gift to take away. It was an intentionally small class of  only nine people and their own dogs, to make sure everyone received Iris's full attention and guidance. Some dogs even fell asleep during the grooming session because they were so relaxed and comfortable.  Special thanks to WOW Pet Shop for providing the wonderful venue for our entire workshop series. 

Nail clipping doesn't have to be traumatic

Iris is an experienced groomer

Tues 6th Sept: Willis the poodle needs a home

Back on the road

It was with some relief that we had a new driver starting today and I asked Kathy to join us so she could give instructions and directions as we made our usual rounds which included (starting off at Tai Po Homing Centre) Ap Lei Chau, picking me up in Aberdeen, on to AFCD in Pokfulam and finally Acorn Vet Hospital in Sai Ying Pun.  By now there should be ruts in the road we have taken that same route so many times.

I only took one new puppy from AFCD, and I can say he was exceptionally lucky because at first I thought he was a wildling and wasn't going to take him.   It was only because the person in charge of re-homing asked me about another particular dog that I want back for a second look, and this time put my hand out towards the pup who had been sitting in a corner growling at me.  As soon as I did this the tail began to wag and instead of a bite I got a lick, and I saw that the poor little boy was just terrified rather than wild, and he was very happy to be picked up and carried out.

Cat-like Fifi

The only other vet patients on this visit were the three tick fever pups who were going back to have their blood taken and tested.  I was really hoping for good news so they could be at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday, but while the red cell count had increased, and in the case of the smallest quite significantly, Dr Andy recommended waiting until next week to give the first vaccination.  So while Fifi, the only girl and the one whose blood count is pretty much normal now, won't be at the Sunday puppy afternoon she is available for adoption now.  She is a very unusual grey-and-white and much more like a cat than a dog, and I'm pretty sure she will only be medium sized as an adult as she has a slight build and is a lot smaller than her brothers.  If you are interested in adopting this very pretty puppy please complete the adoption questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com, under Adopt.

Willis needs help!

We have an urgent need for a new foster home, or even better a home for ever, for sweet poodle boy Willis.  He was diagnosed as having diabetes and has been receiving regular insulin injections for a couple of weeks now, so his condition has stabilised and symptoms all but disappeared.   His current foster can't keep him any longer and while we thought we had a new home lined up this fallen through at the last minute.  Other than the fact that Willis needs insulin injections twice a day (and they are very easy to give) he is just like any other dog and needs no special care.  He is a very sweet boy and that is more important than any minor inconvenience, so if you can help by fostering, or will consider adopting, please contact Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com urgently.

Mon 5th Sept: Sandy

After the excitement of Sunday's multi adoptions today was a difficult one for several reasons, the first being that we are once again without a van driver and couldn't find one of our regular hire vans that was available at the right time.  Secondly it was raining hard again and that makes everything more difficult, including finding a sampan to take me across at a time that would coincide with anything else, like a van.

Sandy at AFCD where she had been surrendered with her extended family in 2004

I had been planning to taking the three tick fever puppies to Acorn for a blood test to see how they were doing, in the hope they would be well enough to be at Whiskers N Paws next Sunday.  However something more urgent came up that overshadowed everything else, and that was that I knew I couldn't delay taking my little dog Sandy to be euthanised.  That word is misused too often but in this situation it really was a case of releasing a dog from suffering, and there was no doubt in my mind that it was the right time.  Sandy had been diagnosed with kidney problems some time ago but had been doing well on medication up until the weekend when she finally became so weak and helpless that she could no longer stand to even get a drink, and would cry for me to help her.

Margaret became Sandy's friend in old age

Sandy used to take care of all the puppies

As dogs owners and lovers we all face this loss at some time, and while Sandy had been with me for twelve years after I took her and her extended family of  "Wanchai terriers" out of AFCD, ironically the decision to end her life wasn't as difficult as it had been for Hilton and Sooty and the other dogs whose minds were still very much alive even if their bodies had failed.  I remembered Sandy as she was when she was younger, the strong and fearless little dog who was always right up there at the front when we went to our long daily hikes and swims, and the one who mothered all of the puppies who at that time used to stay in the house.

2 of Sandy's family at AFCD

Sandy in her walking days

As her vision started to fade she would only do half the walk and then go home by herself, eventually giving up altogether and just wandering down to the beach.  Slowly her world got smaller as she lost her sight completely as well as her hearing, and the bedroom and balcony were enough. Eventually even walking as far as the balcony stopped, and in her last days she never moved from her bed and I had to wash her and tend to her constantly.  When she stopped eating and nothing would tempt her I knew it was the end, so today we made that final journey together.  It wasn't an easy one, not because it was the last, but because it was so hard seeing the little shell of a dog in my arms who had once been so alive and so amazing.  Of course I cried, but it wasn't for losing Sandy as she had become but for all the memories of how she had once been.

How I want to remember Sandy

Of course I have, and have had, many dogs in my life and they are as varied and different as it's possible to be, both in looks and character.  Just recently I brought puppy Hopper back to Lamma from the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre where he had been staying because he had grown too big.  He had been there in the hope that we could find a foster home for him so he could have surgery, as when I took him from AFCD he had a pronounced limp from a broken leg.  Although the bone had healed it seemed that it would have to be re-broken and properly set, but as the weeks passed and nobody offered a temporary place for Hopper, his limp disappeared and Dr Tony, who would have performed the operation, said surgery was no longer required.

Hopper at Whiskers N Paws

Most puppies coming to Lamma are obviously aware that they are outnumbered and that they need to work their way into the family group, but not Hopper.  From the moment he set foot in the garden he assumed this was his home and I was his mother.  He ignored all of the other doglets and established seniors, and from the first night slept inside the house as if that was his right.  In the morning he joined the rush out of the gate when I left for the daily walk, and in the evening he went with Wanda to the beach for a night time stroll and final pee before bed time.  He acts as if being with me is the most natural thing and responds to my calls immediately.  I don't want to keep Hopper because I already have more dogs than I could possibly need, but I do want him to be noticed.  He will be at Whiskers N Paws on Sundays, weather permitting, but if anyone is interested in meeting this exceptional boy it can be arranged for any day of the week.  Just let me know.

Sun 4th Sept: Sold out!

Baggy Baggins and his new family

We packed up the baby pen early at Whiskers N Paws today after all six of the puppies present were adopted, as well as older sisters Domino and Cherry.  Sweet Jonas, who had been sneakily returned to his original foster by his spineless and short-lived adopter, dropped by to say hello and goodbye again as he was also on his way to a new home, so all in all it was a fantastic afternoon.

Checker was the first to go

Crinkle and his new family

Domino went home at last

At Ap Lei Chau there were also a few adoptions (actually Domino was also taken from there in the morning so I can't count her twice) as Candy the poodle and Lychee the schnauzer were chosen.

Beautiful Mark was the lucky Tai Po boy, and his adopter is just as lucky to have such a wonderful dog.  You couldn't find a sweeter character or a more handsome look if you tried.

There's no space for more happy adoption photos so that's it for today.

Who is luckier, Mark the dog or his adopter?

Schnauzer Lychee was also a new girl

New poodle Candy didn't wait long

Hello and goodbye again Jonas!

Chubba going home

Sat 3rd Sept: Continuous rotation

Everyone is ecstatic about Justine and Biba going home

It was a very busy day at both Homing Centres, with the biggest and best news of all being that mother-and-daughter pair Justine and Biba were adopted together, and already looking very happy and settled in their new home.

King arrived at Tai Po today

In their place we had Zipper returned from his foster home where he had been staying to enable him to have knee surgery, and we also took in a new seven year-old husky, King,  (who came from the same home as the other five small dogs who went to Ap Lei Chau).  Sweet Coolio is another dog who was taken for surgery fostering and who is now fully recovered, so he too is in need of a forever home.

This little boy was a surprise surrender

We also welcomed a new and young chihuahua to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre after saying goodbye to long-haired chihuahua Mandy and springer spaniel Josie (these were two of the dogs that used to live with husky King). So it's really a continuous rotation of in and out, in and out.

Long-haired chihuahua Mandy leaving for good

Sunday will hopefully be a continuation of "outs" with no further "ins", and I will be at Whiskers N Paws with lots of new baby pups to show off.

Springer spaniel Josie was also chosen today

This and every Sunday

Fri 2nd Sept: Dodging the downpours

I had an appointment with a TVB crew to film at Tai Po for a programme about breeders and the Hong Kong pet trade, which was going ahead despite the intermittent and sudden downpours.  The rain was incredibly heavy during the boat ride over to Aberdeen and continued until we reached Tai Po itself, at which point it was suddenly dry and we were able to complete the filming without interruption. I'm not sure when the programme will be aired but no doubt I'll be told when a date is set.

Super-sweet Gaby, mother of too many

One of the dogs I introduced to the camera was Gaby, an incredibly sweet golden retriever who has been used for breeding.  She has had many adoption interviews, and while everyone agrees she is lovely she has been politely rejected by all because of her loose and hanging "undercarriage", the result of having had too many litters over too short a period of time. It's very sad that something as superficial as this should stand in the way of a home, but that's life; unfair.

The five small dogs from AFCD Sheung Shui had been picked up in the morning and taken to Acorn Vet Hospital for their health checks and vaccinations, so after leaving the Tai Po Homing Centre I went straight to Sai Yung Pun to  collect them.  I'd only seen photos so was keen to take a look at the dogs in real life, especially the "black chihuahua" that was listed but which I hadn't been able to pick out in the photos.  Peering into the crates in the waiting area I could only see two schnauzers (one actually a mix) in one crate and three very small dogs in another but no chihuahua, only a tiny Yorkie. I couldn't recall there being a Yorkshire terrier on the list of dogs so pulled the little thing out of the crate and asked if he could be scanned to see if the microchip number matched the black chihuahua's, which it did.  I'm not really sure how anyone, even someone with eyesight as poor as mine is now,  could confuse a gold-and-grey Yorkie with a black chihuahua (especially as I have never seen one that colour), but stranger things have happened.  I informed AFCD of the mix-up and they will issue a new license accordingly, but for the record we now have a very small Yorkie available.

The dog on the right is the "black chihuahua"

Tyler has his own home now

I'm hoping the weekend will be a busy one for adoptions so we can move at least some of the dogs out of the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, and in fact two left today.  One was the very sweet surrendered Sheltie, and the other the "schnoodle" that was one of the five that came to us as a group from one home.

Cookie the schnoodle was the first of her group to go

I had thought I had an adopter for the incredibly cute "panda" pup that also came to us on Thursday, and had even got as far as putting her on a sampan to send her across from Lamma to Ap Lei Chau to be there for the arranged meeting, only to receive a message from the Homing Centre letting me know that the deal was off.  I had to call the sampan to come back with the puppy so was less than impressed.  I have no doubt at all that this particular baby will be adopted in a flash and if you are interested then I suggest you come to Whiskers N Paws as early as possible (that means at two o'clock when we start).

Who wouldn't love this panda pup?

This will be the last Sunday for our current van driver Michael, so we are once again looking for a replacement if you know of any dog-loving drivers in need of a job.

Thurs 1st Sept: Ten in two days

It's exactly one month until the waiting is over!

Many came to AFCD with me for a rabies update

It was all about the new arrivals at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre today and then, as happens so often I should have expected it, I received notification of a further five small-sized dogs that were ready for re-homing at AFCD Sheung Shui (a bichon frise, chihuahua, poodle and two schnauzers). They will be picked up first thing on Friday, meaning over two days we will have taken in an extra ten bodies to accommodate, although I don't think they will wait too long for new homes.

Schnoodle Cookie also had an expired license

What else could I call her but Panda?

There was also another unexpected arrival in the form of the cutest fluffy panda pup, and she already has an adoption interview lined up for Friday morning.  If not taken for whatever reason I know for sure she won't be around past Sunday and the puppy afternoon.

I also picked up three young puppies from AFCD in Pokfulam, all of whom unfortunately have tick fever so won't be at Whiskers N Paws this Sunday, but as one of them is very unusual in colouring maybe someone would be interested anyway.  Let me know if you are, as this little grey-and-white girl is very pretty and I'm guessing she'll be a slim-built medium size as an adult.

The black-and-white is actually grey