Tues 14th Nov: Getting close the the big day

I was back at Tai Po today sorting out some things relating to the ongoing refurbishment and renovations, and would like to put out another call for sturdy tables that can be used to create platforms.  If anyone is moving house and/or getting rid of strong tables that won't collapse if jumped on or be affected by rain (ie. not composite materials) please pass them to us.  We should be able to arrange collection as long as they're not in remote areas or Outlying Islands, or cover the cost of a van if necessary.

Although I hope I don't need to remind you all that this coming Sunday is Peak to Fong, we are now getting a lot of enquiries about buying tickets online although the cut-off date has already passed as we can't guarantee delivery in time.   That means anyone who hasn't already got the T-shirt/ticket will have to visit one of the retail outlets selling them, or come to either of our Homing Centres.  Not all sizes are still available so you will have to choose a bigger size in case what you wanted is already sold out. 

The Disney T-shirts are not the tickets this year but will be given out to all participants who raise $800 sponsorship for the walk down from the Peak, or two T-shirts for amount of $1500 or over.  Please be ready to hand in your sponsorship form and money when you arrive at Lan Kwai Fong to claim your Disney T-shirt(s).  All booths will be clearly signposted, and remember too that everyone who is wearing the official Petble Peak to Fong 2017 T-shirt will receive a fantastic tote bag with free gifts inside.

Raise over $800 to get this genuine Disney T-shirt for free!

Get this bag and gift inside free!

Wear your official T-shirt

Another reminder that we will be at Whiskers N Paws as usual with the puppies, so if you are looking for a new family member please head over there to meet the many and very sweet pups available.  We are also desperately in need of foster homes as there are still more puppies waiting at AFCD and only limited space to keep so many.

Beautiful puppies need homes!

A story that's been in the public eye ever the past few days is that of the King Charles spaniel that was stolen from outside a shop, and happily the culprit was spotted out walking the dog and later apprehended on the MTR, as shown on this video https://www.hk01.com/sns/article/133553
It's one time when social media really helped, as the dog's photo as well as the man's was shared many times.

Mon 13th Nov: Toby leaves and Ellie arrives

Pick up your free goodie bag when you arrive at Lan Kwai Fong

I'm paying close attention to the weather forecast, as I'm sure everyone else involved in Peak to Fong is doing, and was relieved to see that although much cooler this coming weekend - which actually isn't a bad thing - if there is any rain it should be short-lived.  I do need to mention that it can be quite chilly up on the Peak, so make sure you have something warm to wear before we start the walk down to Lan Kwai Fong.  Once we get going and leave the clouds behind you will soon warm up, and you'll be able to put your warm top away in the free tote bag being handed out at the entrance to the street party.

Toby will have fun on the beach

We knew that the black labrador puppy wouldn't have to wait long for a home, and of course there was a lot of interest in him.  However we wanted a home where Toby could enjoy lots of free running and play so a beach was the ideal choice, and I'm happy to report that's just what he got. 

Eva commented how sad the photo was showing all of the dogs in the background looking on as the newcomer left to start his new life as a family member, and I had to agree.  It's something that hits hard every time there's a rush of offers for a young purebreed, but at the same time I'm happy for Toby as his life up until now has been pretty miserable.

"Elephant skin" Ellie

We had a new arrival at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, a very small five year-old poodle girl I have called Ellie, due to the "elephant skin" which was the reason for her being dumped at AFCD.  The sad thing is that this is such a treatable condition, but I'm actually happy that she came to us because her previous owner obviously hadn't bothered to take her to a vet.  Allergies in poodles are so common that it's the norm rather than the exception, and a quick diet switch plus some medication will soon fix Ellie's skin.

Blind Blinky (in red) had to have both knees fixed and is now fine

Some things that are not fixable other than with surgery are also very common in small breeds but aren't unknown in larger dogs either, and I'm talking about knees.  Patella (kneecap) luxation is almost inevitable in breeds such as chihuahuas and the really tiny dogs, poodles included, and surgery is necessary when the degree of luxation is affecting mobility.  You can see it without needing any veterinary knowledge as the back legs wobble and bend as the dog walks, and in very bad cases which are left untreated the dog becomes completely crippled.

Nancy is such a sweet girl

We had noticed that adopted-and-returned puppy Nancy wasn't able to run and play for long before having to sit down, and at first we put it down to her being unfit but then it became clear that it was more than that.  Now we know that the poor girl has Grade 3 patella luxation in both knees and needs to have surgery.  Before we can go ahead with that we need a foster home where she can stay during the recovery period, so if anyone can offer a place in their home for a very sweet young dog please let Cindy know at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com.  Post-surgery Nancy will still be able to walk but can't jump around and play, which she would do if she was staying with us and her best friend Lara.

Although good exercise is necessary for all adult dogs, larger breeds that are still growing should have shorter and more frequent walks to prevent problems with bone growth and joints later in life.

Sun 12th Nov: 3 double adoptions

Rose and Petal were the first to leave

I think we broke any previous record with three double adoptions taking place at Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre today, the first being two of the ex-breeder Yorkies, Rose and Petal.

Portia came from the same breeder as the beagles we have

That was followed by the three-legged King Charles spaniel, also an ex-breeder dog despite her handicap, who went home with Japanese spitz Yoshi.  He had been left behind at a groomers, a common ploy for people wanting to get rid of their pets.

Tiny Ludo and Violet

The third pair were Yorkie Violet and teeny-tiny mini pin Ludo, although Violet's adoption won't be confirmed until the family are sure that their poodle accepts her.  As for Ludo, he loves to lie on top of other dogs rather than using a dog bed (as shown in this photo), so he will enjoy having a nice soft poodle to sleep on.

This was a very lucky recent group from AFCD as they were all adopted in pairs, the first being Yorkie Flower who went home with pom Amy.  Now there is just papillon Butter left from that particular intake, and as she is also a very small and sweet girl I'm not worried that she will be waiting long either.

Papillon Butter is still available

Ludo likes a real "dog bed" 

We're also hoping that Portman will be picked up on Monday, so it was quite lucky that I sent him back from Whiskers N Paws because he was afraid of the puppies and kept trying to jump out of the inside enclosure that had been set up due to the rain.  Rather than spend the entire three hours having to hold him on my lap or keep him on a leash, I decided he'd be happier back at the Homing Centre, so he was there to be seen by his potential adopter.

Little Portman

It was quite a challenge for today's volunteer photographer Eric Tang due to the tight squeeze, but he managed to get some wonderful shots as you can see on our HKDR Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/

Big thanks to Ishan for his Tow Presents birthday donation

There was also a very generous Two Presents birthday donation from Ishan to be grateful for, so thank you Ishan for sharing your special day with the dogs.

The four day-long Dogs Trust workshop finished today, and speaking to Cactus and May afterwards they said it was a very worthwhile and informative learning experience, and I hope some of what was learned can be applied to our own organisation, even if not everything is possible.  Thanks to Steve and Claire from Dogs Trust for what was a wonderful learning experience for everyone who attended.

From left: May, trainer Alice, the Dogs Trust team, Cactus and Yannie

Sat 11th Nov: One week to go

Online sales end this Sunday

Peak to Fong is now a week away so if you haven't started getting your sponsors for the walk down from the Peak to Lan Kwai Fong in Central, you have until next Sunday morning to raise the $800 which will earn you a free Disney T-shirt, or a pair if you hit the magic $1500 target.

The Sponsored Walk section of the event is just as important as the fun side of the day as this is where the fundraising comes into it, and as our biggest event of the year it's really important to us (and the dogs) that we don't forget this aspect of Peak to Fong.  Please use the form in your T-shirt packet, or download from our website, and for all events information you can check this Facebook link https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/posts/1731300626882662


It's also your last chance to buy the ticket/T-shirt online 📣Online sale of Peak to Fong T-shirts ends today (Sunday) at 23:59! Last chance to order your T-shirt and be part of this amazing event: http://hongkongdogrescue.com/p2f2017tick…/buy-ticket-online/

📣Peak to Fong狗狗同樂籌款日網上訂購T恤的截止時間是今晚23:59! 最後機會，立即訂購啦：http://hongkongdogrescue.com/p2f2017tick…/buy-ticket-online/

Grace has now had her adoption confirmed

In case you can't make Peak to Fong, or even if you do and are then motivated to go and adopt a puppy for yourself or your family, we will be at Whiskers N Paws as usual on Sunday 19th, 2pm to 5pm, just as we are every other Sunday (except typhoon days, of which there have been too many this year). Please note that due to the fact that it's getting dark earlier now, we must leave Whiskers N Paws at 5pm sharp, so please don't come just before closing to meet the puppies.  As much as I really want to find homes, if I don't leave on time it becomes harder and harder to get back to Lamma as the weather becomes colder.

Our Tai Po (6 Shek Lin Road)  and Ap Lei Chau (21 Main Street)  Homing Centres will remain open as usual from 10am to 6pm daily, but for Tai Po again please be aware that it's dark by 6pm and hard to see the dogs properly, so come early to make sure you catch the daylight.

Cactus, May and Yannie are still away from their normal work, participating in the Dog's Trust workshop where they are learning a lot about all aspects of dog rescue work, including training, kennel management and animal welfare.  As much as we try our best to provide a good environment for the Tai Po dogs in particular, there is obviously still a lot to learn.  None of us had any kennel experience when we started, so what we know is what we have found out for ourselves over the years and what the dogs have taught us.  Of course there are also financial and land restrictions in what we can achieve, as ideally we would have a lot more (flat) space and purpose-built kennels with air conditioning in the summer.  So we make the best of what we have, and are extremely grateful for too.

I think everyone who lives in Hong Kong is very much aware of the land shortage and the lack of tolerance for dogs in urban areas, so I was very upset to read that the Kennedy Town waterfront has been closed off without warning.  When homing our dogs we take into account the location and potential areas for exercise, and Kennedy Town has always been a good place for dogs to walk and socialise - until now. This post was by Paul Zimmerman:

Kennedy Town Waterfront Closed off 

The District Officer of the Central & Western District has closed off a popular waterfront in Kennedy Town. On Monday, the barriers went up. Dog walkers, cyclists, drone pilots, children on scooters, fishermen, lovers, book readers, and others lost their access. Without consultation and without a public tender, the area has been let to an event organization for the month of November, the best time and weather for people to enjoy the outdoors (在沒有公眾諮詢及公開招標的情況下，將海旁出租給活動承辦商).

The site won the Outstanding Public Space Awards in 2013, in the people-appropriated space category (碼頭曾於2013年獲得由市民開創的空間大獎).

The 7,500 square meter site consists of the former berths 1-3 of the Western District Public Cargo Working Area (西區公眾貨物裝卸區1-3號停泊位) which were released by the Marine Department in August 2016.

It is part of the Kennedy Town Waterfront which gained the nick-name ‘InstaPier’ for the thousands of images posted by professional and amateur photographers.

It is one of many waterfronts awaiting investment by the Government.

The closure is at odds with existing users and contradicts proposals by the District Council and community organisations to convert it into a waterfront park.

It also breaches promises made by the Development Bureau in January 2017 that “the future operator would need to design and construct a promenade of at least 10m at the edge of the Site and allow public access at all times so that the public could continue to have guaranteed free access to the harbourfront along the shoreline.”

The entire harbourfront is for the people. And not just a skinny promenade. It should not be privatised (海濱長廊的空間是屬於公眾的，不應被私有化) . Not for developers. Not for private gardens. Not for events. Not for the district officer.

(Above was first published in AM730 on 9 November 2017.)

Fri 10th Nov: A typhoon again?

Yorkie Flower and pom Amy wave goodbye to their old life

As anticipated, there has been a lot of interest in the new tiny ex-breeder dogs that arrived from AFCD just yesterday, and a lucky pair were adopted first thing this morning.  Amy the pom and Flower the Yorkie headed off to start a new and cage-free life with no more puppies, and I expect more will be leaving over the coming weekend.

Butter the papillon at Ap Lei Chau

An older poodle who came from AFCD in Pokfulam not too long ago was also adopted today, and Julian is now officially Bucky.

Julian is now Bucky

We'd heard about a young labrador that was about to be surrendered a couple of weeks ago, but it wasn't until today that the eleven month-old puppy was finally handed over.  This was yet another case of an impulsive purchase with no thought or knowledge about the energy levels or behaviour of a large breed, and a labrador at that.  I used to tell everyone who was asking about a labrador puppy if they had watched the film "Marley & Me", because that's what you can expect; a lovable destruction machine with a fetish for tennis balls.   That particular film is a bit too old to be relevant today, but the fact remains that you can say goodbye to soft furnishings and wooden furniture until these puppies grow up and settle down in their behaviour.  Anyway I have called the puppy Toby and he moved to Tai Po today, but I fully expect that he will be adopted before the weekend is over.  Lucky for any dog to be born with a breed label attached rather than a mix.

Toby

Some of the puppies you can meet on Sunday

As annoying as it is to see the effects of a passing typhoon bringing wind and rain to Hong Kong this weekend, it shouldn't be bad enough to stop me getting the puppies over to Whiskers N Paws on Sunday, and by Peak to Fong on the 19th November it will all be over and the sun will be back. 

Portman is a small-medium doglet, and a very happy boy

Portman isn't shown on the poster, but he's a small-medium doglet who loves everyone, including other dogs except large ones he doesn't know, and then he's quite wary.  I had a bit of a scare when I took him to Acorn today for a health check because he's not keen on the van and made a run for it as I was trying to heave a very large and heavy Magoo (from Tai Po) onto the back seat.  I'd put Portman in the front to sit on my lap, but when he saw the back door open and an opportunity to escape, he took it.  Happily our new driver Ming managed to catch Portman while I was still struggling with Magoo, so he will be at Whiskers N Paws with the younger group on Sunday.

Volunteers needed!
We are still recruiting volunteers for Peak to Fong on November 19 (Sunday) for various duties! Both registered and non-registered HKDR volunteers are welcome.

Volunteer Positions:
- Route Signage Team 8:45am - 2:00pm
-"Lan Kwai Fong" AM Team (Moving items) 7:00am - 11:00am
-"Lan Kwai Fong" PM Team (Moving items) 3:45pm - 5:00pm

Please register at http://hongkongdogrescue.com/event/p2f2017/volunteers/

Thurs 9th Nov: Six new little ones

4 Yorkies, a pom and a papillon

The six small dogs arrived from AFCD today and they are clearly ex-breeder females, although none had microchips before leaving the Sheung Shui kennels.  They are very sweet and their health seems to be fine other than the superficial skin complaints which we see in all ex-breeder dogs due to the way they are kept and their appalling living conditions.  Every time we take in such dogs I'm so happy for them, that they escaped the living hell that these puppy farms are.

The four Yorkies are now called Flower, Petal, Violet and Rose, the pom Amy and papillon Butter.  They are staying at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, but I don't think they'll be waiting long for new homes.

The large mongrel that also came with this group now has the name Oliver, and he's such a sweet boy.  He kept nudging my hand for petting as I was taking to the vet and he'll make a wonderful family dog for sure.

Betty (on ground) loves Harvey

By this time of the week I'm already focusing on the weekend and Sunday's Whiskers N Paws puppy afternoon.  I have two new additions to introduce, as well as those that have been there before.  Please take a look at the photo album from last week to see how lovely the pups are, and I can tell you about their personalities: https://www.facebook.com/pg/hkdogrescue/photos/

Book your 99 Bus seats now!

With Peak to Fong just over a week away, we're happy to announce details of the 99 Bus routes which you can take, with your dogs, to the event and back home from Lan Kwai Fong.  You need to book your seats so please do that now:

Peak to Fong participants can now sign up for taking 99bus on the event day!
還在考慮Peak to Fong當日的交通安排？一於報名乘搭99bus 狗狗巴士吧！

We are once again collaborating with 99bus Pet Bus to arrange transportation service. 99bus Pet Bus will pick you and your four-legged friend(s) up from the town and bring you to the Peak. After the walk and street party, 99bus Pet Bus will bring you back from Lan Kwai Fong to the town!
今年我們將繼續與 99bus 狗狗巴士合作提供交通安排！99bus 狗狗巴士會從市區接載你和你的狗狗前往山頂參加步行籌款，在完成步行籌款和街頭派對後，99bus 狗狗巴士會在蘭桂坊接送你和你的狗狗回市區!

5 routes will be in service on the day:
活動當日將會有 5 條路線提供服務:

Route A
$99 9:00 AM 觀塘 Kwun Tong
$99 9:10 AM 九龍灣 Kowloon Bay
$99 9:20 AM 新蒲岡 San Po Kong
$99 9:30 AM 土瓜灣道 To Kwa Wan
$99 9:35 AM 紅磡街市 Hung Hom
山頂廣場 The Peak
回程時間 Return Trip ：3:45 PM
*最後上車時間以電郵為準

Route B
去程時間 Inbound time & Place :
$99 9:00 AM 元朗 Yuen Long
$99 9:40 AM 太子 Prince Edward
$99 9:45 AM 旺角 Mong Kok
山頂廣場 The Peak
回程時間 Return Trip: 3:45 PM

Route C
$99 9:20 AM 將軍澳 Tseung Kwan O
$99 9:30 AM 藍田 Nam Tin
$89 9:40 AM 北角 North Point
$89 9:50 AM 灣仔 Wan Chai
山頂廣場
回程時間 Return Trip : 4:00PM

Route D
$99 9:00 AM 屯門 Tuen Mun
$99 9:30 AM 荃灣 Tsuen Wan
$99 9:50 AM 美孚 Mei Fu
山頂廣場 THE PEAK
回程時間 Return Trip 4:00 pm

ROUTE E
$99 9:00 AM 上水 Sheng Shu
$99 9:10 AM 粉嶺 Fan Ning
$99 9:20 AM 大埔 Tai Po
$99 9:30 AM 沙田 Sha Tin
山頂廣場 The Peak
回程時間 Return Trip 4:15PM

Visit 99bus Pet Bus's website to buy the tickets now:
立即前往 99bus 狗狗巴士的網站購買車票:
http://www.99bus.org/tickets

Check out Peak to Fong event details and buy your T-shirt ticket:
查看Peak to Fong活動詳情及購票：
https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/posts/1731300626882662

Limited Edition Disney T-shirt offered for Peak to Fong 2017 participants:
Peak to Fong參加者專屬迪士尼限量版T恤：https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/posts/1751527038193354

Peak to Fong participants can now sign up for taking 99bus on the event day!
Are we still considering the traffic arrangements for peak to fong? Sign up for 99 bus!

We are once again collaborating with 99bus Pet Bus to arrange transportation service. 99bus Pet Bus will pick you and your four-legged friend(s) up from the town and bring you to the Peak. After the walk and street party, 99bus Pet Bus will bring you back from Lan Kwai Fong to the town!
This year we will continue to provide traffic arrangements with 99 bus bus bus co-Operation! 99 bus dog bus will take you and your dog from the city to go to the top of the hill for a walk-in. 99 bus bus will pick you up and yours at Lan Kwai Fong. Dogs go back to the city!

5 routes will be in service on the day:
There will be 5 routes to provide services on the day of the event:

Route A
$99 9:00 AM 觀塘 Kwun Tong
$99 9:10 AM 九龍灣 Kowloon Bay
$99 9:20 AM 新蒲岡 San Po Kong
$99 9:30 AM 土瓜灣道 To Kwa Wan
$ 99 9:35 am hung hom market hung hom
山頂廣場 The Peak
回程時間 Return Trip ：3:45 PM
* last time in the car for e-mail

Route B
去程時間 Inbound time & Place :
$99 9:00 AM 元朗 Yuen Long
$99 9:40 AM 太子 Prince Edward
$ 99 9:45 am wàng jiǎo mong kok
山頂廣場 The Peak
回程時間 Return Trip: 3:45 PM

Route C
$99 9:20 AM 將軍澳 Tseung Kwan O
$ 99 9:30 am lán tián south believe
$89 9:40 AM 北角 North Point
$89 9:50 AM 灣仔 Wan Chai
Peak Square
回程時間 Return Trip : 4:00PM

Route D
$99 9:00 AM 屯門 Tuen Mun
$99 9:30 AM 荃灣 Tsuen Wan
$ 99 9:50 am mei foo mei fu
山頂廣場 THE PEAK
回程時間 Return Trip 4:00 pm

ROUTE E
$99 9:00 AM 上水 Sheng Shu
$99 9:10 AM 粉嶺 Fan Ning
$ 99 9:20 am dà bù it's after
$99 9:30 AM 沙田 Sha Tin
山頂廣場 The Peak
回程時間 Return Trip 4:15PM

Visit 99bus Pet Bus's website to buy the tickets now:
Get tickets to 99 bus on the website at 99 bus.
http://www.99bus.org/tickets

Check out Peak to Fong event details and buy your T-shirt ticket:
View Peak to fong event details and purchase tickets:
https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/posts/1731300626882662

Limited Edition Disney T-shirt offered for Peak to Fong 2017 participants:
Peak to fong participant for a limited edition t-shirt: https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/posts/1751527038193354

Weds 8th Nov: Day trip to Tai Po Homing Centre

The 307 Express bus from Hong Kong to Tai Po is very fast

I experimented today by testing the time it took to get from my home on Lamma to Tai Po by MTR now that I can start the journey at Ap Lei Chau rather than Admiralty, and I have to say it's still a much better choice to use the Express bus, which is the way I came back.  Overall I think I'll stick with the HKDR van though.

Apart from wanting to say hello to some of my old friends at the Homing Centre, those who still remember me from their puppy days, I was also there to meet the team from Dogs Trust, a very large and respected UK dog rescue charity, who are here to run a training course for Hong Kong animal NGOs.  Just in case you want to get in touch with our own trainer, Cactus, or May at Tai Po over the next few days, they will be attending the course and there will be a delay in their response.

I still think of Alison and Jersey as my girls

We have always recommended the Dogs Trust training videos as being the best available, and I was happy to hear there will be a dedicated Dogs Trust Behaviour and Training website, and that all of the training videos are being updated.  https://www.dogstrust.ie/help-advice/training-videos/ The content will remain the same but the look will be more modern, and we will continue to encourage all adopters to watch the videos and follow the methods used, which are the same that the HKDR trainers advise.   It doesn't matter where in the world you live, dogs are dogs and they are the same animal and the training methods don't change.

While on the way to Tai Po I received an email from AFCD in Sheung Shui letting me know that there were several small dogs available for re-homing, age estimated as being around five years but as none of them had a microchip then it was just a guess.  There are four Yorkies, a papillon and a pom, plus a large mongrel thrown in as a bonus which isn't from a breeder of course.  All of these dogs will be available for homing by Thursday afternoon from our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, but please do complete the Adoption Questionnaire on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com (under Adopt) as a first step if you are a new adopter.

Time is flying by and Peak to Fong is only ten days away!  We are selling out of some T-shirt sizes so please don't leave it any longer if you want to attend the best dog party of the year in Hong Kong.  Now that the time is getting close we can start talking about details, one of which is the start of the event at the Peak Galleria, which some of you may already know is undergoing renovation.  That means that the actual size of the area available is somewhat less that we have had before, so you will need to get there in good time and leave promptly once the walk down to Lan Kwai Fong starts.  For first timers, you can't begin to imagine what a very large crowd of dogs and their humans look like when they are all gathered in one small place, so you have a big surprise in store. 

I also need to start talking about the HKDR Christmas party, which we have tentatively booked for Friday 8th December (evening).  I had what I thought was the great idea of holding it at a dog-friendly venue in Ap Lei Chau with a large outside terrace, but it's turned out to be rather too expensive if we want to take over the very large and lovely space. So we either scale it back to our usual small and restricted-to-HKDR only party, or ask how many people would come if we opened it up to all HKDR supporters, and how much could we ask for guests (free flow drinks and food included).   Please let me know your thoughts and how many would like to come.  Sponsors are more than welcome of course!