Tues 27th Nov: What's coming up next?

Mickco (and Minnie) Chan donated all proceeds from the sale of his book to HKDR

We're still adding up the totals for Peak to Fong 2018 as we confirm the number of tickets sold as well as merchandise and sponsorship money raised, and despite the rain I'm pretty sure it's going to be a very respectable figure.   We can also include an amazing $36,000 donation from Gino's Gelato as a result of a portion of every sale of Gino's Gelato throughout the year being given to HKDR.
Photos from the Lan Kwai Fong Street party are about to be published, and thanks to Semirah for her work in ploughing through thousands of them to come up with the final albums of the event.   So many volunteers contributed to Peak to Fong in all sorts of ways that it's impossible to name them all, but I hope when you look through the photos you'll see how many were involved in making an event like this work and give them a "like" to show your appreciation.  Here's the album of the Walk itself  Peak to Fong 2018 - The Walk.

So what's next?  We have the new venue for the Saturday Puppy Adoptions this coming weekend, and although I won't be there myself our regular Sunday volunteer Becky will be on hand to introduce all of the lovely youngsters.   This venue will be hosting regular fortnightly puppy events from now on, so I hope we'll be seeing lots of HKDR puppies finding homes in Happy Valley.

Christmas Party this Sunday at Whiskers N Paws

On Sunday it's party time at Whiskers N Paws, and please make sure you register if you want to attend.  I'm sure you all know that Whiskers N Paws know how to throw a great party, and it's great fun for all of the family and especially the dogs.

Of course we will be there too with all of our lovely puppies, and while we must remind everyone that a puppy is for life, not only for Christmas, if you want to bring home a present that will last for many years then a puppy is something that will bring joy for the whole family.

Join our Charity X’mas Party with your furry friends!🐶🎄

🎁We have prepared a little X’mas gift for pre-registered furry parents*: https://bit.ly/2R0rxAC
Our 10th, 50th & 100th registered furry parents will receive a special X’mas gift box. Lucky stars will be informed on 3Dec.**

*One gift per registration, each individual can only register once. Pick up in store on 9Dec, subject to a first come first served basis while stocks last.
**Pick up in store on 9Dec.

Mon 26th Nov: Happy senior adoptions

Grateful thanks to our amazing Peak to Fong 2018 volunteers

The photos for Peak to Fong are up if you would like to take a look and see if you can spot yourself and your dog(s), assuming you were there of course!

There are two albums so far of the Peak gathering  Peak to Fong 2018 - Gathering on the Peak Part 1., and more to come of the walk itself and the party at Lan Kwai Fong, dampened though it was by the rain unfortunately.  That's always the problem with the weather, it's not to be trusted at any time of the year.  Peak to Fong 2018 - Gathering on the Peak Part 2.

A younger Magoo

While I'm on the subject of events, you will recall our Gala Dinner "Sarge'n'Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club" which took place in October.  We had nominated two dogs to represent Sarge and Pepper, close friends Magoo and Norma respectively.  Sadly Norma died recently, something we weren't really expecting, and just a few days later Magoo also left Tai Po but in his case it was for a trial adoption.  It seems Norma was looking out for her dear friend and sending him good luck.

At last Tomlin finds his home and we're all so happy

Another long-termer also got his chance after many years of waiting, this time Tomlin.  He has been with us since our Pokfulam days so it was really time for him to have a chance of a family life.

Beautiful Marina

Marina, a nine year-old German shepherd, was also taken for a trial adoption and we are always so happy to wave goodbye to our senior dogs.  With the current dampness and rain as well as the dropping temperatures, they need soft beds and a warm home more than any of them.

The lucky family who got to take Kiddo home

With a complete contrast in size, we had a lot of interest in the five month-old chihuahua puppy I called Kiddo, and he left the Homing Centre today with his new family.  You may recall that he'd been surrendered to us because of his "stubborn" refusal to accept cage training, and the funny thing is he's been happily using a toilet tray while with us at Ap Lei Chau.

We use newspaper for the toilet areas at both Homing Centres as it's free as well as being far more environmentally friendly than the pee pads.  We always need a good supply as we're often running short, like now, so please keep sending us your old newspapers.  Thank you!

Sun 25th Nov: The big day arrives, and so does the rain

Getting ready to start the walk at Peak to Fong 2018

There's so much to write about today, starting of course with Peak to Fong 2018 which was a great success even though the rain started as we were walking down from the Peak.  Thanks to everyone who came and stayed to enjoy the street party and fantastic live music from the two bands, Atlantis Philharmonic and Jack Rabbit Slim, to our MC Jami Gong, the many generous sponsors and of course the volunteers.   In fact the whole event is organised and run by volunteers, from the office work to the photography team and the team who stand on the route showing the way.  Every single person makes a difference.  Here's the first set of photos from the big day Peak To Fong 2018 Preview

This year's volunteer photography team at Peak to Fong 

One of the best things about Peak to Fong, other than raising funds to support our work, is seeing so many happy ex-HKDR dogs with their families, and thank you once again to everyone who chose to adopt rather than support the cruel pet trade. 

As it happens, this morning when I was checking the Facebook posts I saw one from professional vlogger Allan Dixon, who you may remember came to Hong Kong and spent some time at our Tai Po Homing Centre, Ap Lei Chau and Whiskers N Paws. If you look carefully you'll see the  clips from all there places in this powerful video, which you are encouraged to share https://www.facebook.com/daxon/videos/2034024600221630/UzpfSTU2MDgwNjc3NzoxMDE1NTg4NDg3MDkyNjc3OA/

We were at Whiskers N Paws today as well, and thanks once again to the Sunday team who volunteered to be there rather than Peak to Fong, including photographer for the event Dennis Cheng.  Puppy Adoption Day 25 November 2018
Starting from Saturday 1st December we'll also be holding fortnightly puppy adoption afternoons at a new venue in Happy Valley, Concordia Pet Care, 5-7 Blue Pool Road.  Please look out for more details later.

Goodbye lovely Ines!

Ines was today's lucky dog, as she left our Tail Po Homing Centre with her new parents.  Ines has been with us since she was a puppy, like so many of our adult dogs, and nothing makes me happier than seeing them find their forever homes.

There were also two lovely adoption updates to complete the day, the first one being Gelato who flew to Germany and is now enjoying his new life there.

Gelato is in bed and not to be disturbed :-)

"Hi everyone,
What a great job done, Gelato has safely arrived in Germany. Many tears of joy and relief shed. It all went very smoothly and not a hint of German bureaucracy in the end. So much so Ken picked up Gelato in baggage claim and walked straight through customs. 
We’d planned a coffee at arrivals to wait but never had that coffee. Brilliant.
It was such a bonus having Ken there as Gelato, although a bit nervous, was obviously trusting of him.
He is sound asleep as I type and I’d dearly love a photo to send you but don’t want to disturb him. Poor boy is exhausted. But here he is in his new bed, at home with his new family chilling out.
I can only say we are beyond delighted, will treasure this wee soul and do our very best to give him a great life".

This is our own photo of Ora

The second was Ora, and this is her update:

"Dear All,

I am writing to let you know that I would like to finalise my adoption of Ora who I picked up last Saturday. 

She has fitted in very well with life in Shek O. She is friendly with everyone in spite of the fact it must’ve been quite a stressful week for her.  My helper is delighted with her and her children adore her.  

Ora really seems to like life here. She is such a delight and so happy all the time. When I am not out with her, she is happy to chill at home. There are a number of difficult dogs here in Shek O, many off leash and quite aggressive, but she has managed to charm most of them, even some of the most grumpy. On her very first day here, a number of friends came around with their children and dogs, to say hello and show her how to do stairs, and she was super calm with all of them (although it took a bit longer to trust the stairs, she wasn’t impressed by the other dogs showing off their stair skills). Apart from cats, nothing spooks her. I really love her calm demeanour and she is so humble, I hope she continues to like it here, as she has won me over!

Thank you to you and your staff for matching me up with such a superstar. Ill send you photos when I have some, I am just awful at photography but someone else may be able to help!"

Martha says this will do, thanks.

As if Peak to Fong, Whiskers N Paws and the rain weren't enough for one day, we were also offered furniture from a closing pet store but it had to be moved today.  That meant arranging trucks and more volunteers to send the wanted items to Tai Po, Ap Lei Chau and Lamma, and the deliveries took place in the dark at the end of a very tiring and full day.  Martha the rottweiler immediately took over the sofa, so we hope it lasts for the winter at least. 

Sat 24th Nov: Peak to Fong Eve

Peak to Fong 2018 

I just realised as I was typing the subject header that Peak to Fong takes place exactly one calendar month before Christmas, making today Peak to Fong Eve.    For those of you who have been hiding from Facebook or my blog for a while, Peak to Fong is Hong Kong's biggest and only Sponsored Dog Walk plus Street Party, and it's the best fun you can have with the whole family AND your dogs of course.

Lan Kwai Fong on Sunday morning as volunteers are arriving to set up for the event

Preparations are already underway in Lan Kwai Fong, Central, but the event itself starts at the Peak Galleria with the Sponsored Walk beginning at 11.30am (there was a requested thirty minute delay from the original time of 11am from the police).   Please be sure to be wearing your Peak to Fong 2018 T-shirts so we can see who's who in the crowds up there, and wear sensible walking shoes for the downhill walk which can be steep in parts.   Keep your dogs on leashes and please. make sure you clean up if your dog has to pee or poo.  It's part of being a responsible dog owner and is important if we want to make headway in having dogs accepted as part of Hong Kong society.

Live music all afternoon by Jack Rabbit Slim and Atlantis Philharmonic

Once we reach Lan Kwai Fong you'll hear the music as the live bands are there all afternoon to keep you entertained.  Stop and have a dance if you want, don't be shy, because the afternoon is all about having fun and raising loads of money for HKDR and the dogs.

Funnyman Jami Gong is your host for the day, and we'll be organising some games for the dogs during the afternoon so please listen out for the announcements.

Jami with his HKDR-adopted dog Sammi 

Thanks to all of you who supported by buying tickets, and to our amazing and generous sponsors especially Title Sponsor Brabanconne and Mickco Chan for designing the T-shirts.  You can also buy signed copies of Mickco's just-released book, The Story of Nei Nei, which is the true-life story of his dog Minnie and her adoption from HKDR.

See you all there!

Minnie Chan with her life storybook by Mickco

Fri 23rd Nov: Last call for Sunday's big event

I had what I thought was an emergency vet case with one of my many Lamma dogs, Cajun, so I dropped everything else to get her to Acorn to have her eye checked.  I assumed she would need surgery, which in fact she does, but it turned out that the "balloon" in her eye wasn't a new thing, it was only that it had really just become big enough to be noticeable.  Rather than operating immediately Cajun will be booked in for another day to see if her eye can be saved, and if not then I'll have another one-eyed dog at home.

Soft as a brush Jerome 

I ended up going to AFCD anyway as I had various licenses to sort out, one of them being for rottweiler Jerome, who had come to us as one of a pair, the second one being Jessica.  Both of these dogs are absolute sweethearts and it's always a shame that so many think of this breed as being aggressive and ferocious when they are naturally the opposite.  Today Jerome was heading off for a trial adoption, and I hope Jessica can find her own family too before too long as she too is just a big softie.

It's on Sunday!!!

Peak to Fong 2018 has obviously been taking up a lot of everyone's time and focus, and I would like to give a mention to our staff members Eva and Ka Yan who have been working like crazy to make this event run smoothly, especially as they were also doing the same for the Gala which took place in October.  I must also acknowledge the team of volunteers for all of their behind-the-secenes organising, and I know they will all be breathing a huge sigh of relief once the event is completed.  Thanks too to our fantastic sponsors who have donated the T-shirts, great prizes and lots of free gifts, and to the bands who will be there to entertain us at Lan Kwai Fong.

“Rabbits & Dogs Get Along!” That’s right, for one day only: This Sunday November 25th Lan Kwai Fong. Come support Hong Kong Dog Rescue at their 15th annual “Peak to the Fong”.

https://hongkongdogrescue.com/event/p2f2018/

Join the walk, after party or both! Atlantis Philharmonic hits the stage at 12:30 followed by Jack Rabbit Slim at 2:15. Bring the family and support a great cause for our four legged furry friends!

In case you think that everthing else stops when we have such a big event going on, it doesn't, as our two Homing Centres are open as usual as well as the Whiskers N Paws puppy afternoon on Sunday 2pm to 5pm.  After all, this is all for the dogs and puppies anyway so they will always be our priority.

Thur 22nd Nov: Mothers and babies

Prudence at Acorn wondering what was happening

I was finally allowed to take a dog out of AFCD that had been waiting for a long time while they were trying to trace her owner, one of the downfalls of being licensed for some unlucky dogs.   For some reason I had thought the dog was a boy, I don't know why, but she was always excited to see me and to take the treats I have when I visit the kennels.  She had watched as I took other dogs out and barked excitedly, but today when it was at last her turn she was confused and not a little bit concerned about what was happening.  I called her Prudence, and although she's only a young dog it's clear she's already given birth to puppies at some point.  I don't know her story or how an owned dog came to be at AFCD, but I do know that her future in guaranteed, whether or not she finds a new home of her own.  I hope she will of course.

These 6 babies have the same mother as Carlo

Talking of puppies and mother dogs, the AFCD staff told me that the mother of the litter of babies we took earlier in the week is also the mother of our doglet Carlo (and his sister Carla, who has been adopted).  Apparently they have tried to catch the mother dog many times but she's too smart to fall for their tricks and traps, and the most they can do is to take the puppies so they don't grow up as strays too.  We took a good look at the newest litter and tried to see the resemblance to their half-brother Carlo, but they seem to have a different father.

Carlo and Jack are always together

As for Carlo, he has made a best friend in Jack and the two of them love to hang out together.  Looking through the several photo albums from Sunday's Whiskers N Paws afternoon, I was smiling to myself seeing these two, because wherever one was so was the other.  They are both a bit stand-offish with strangers and happy to be in their own company, but Jack in particular can't hide his happiness when he sees someone he knows, and even Carlo is secretly pleased.

Even as a younger puppy Jack worshipped Carlo

Two lucky and rather special foster puppies had their adoptions confirmed today, and when I say special I'm talking about Special Needs.  We had been waiting and hoping like crazy that wobbly poodle Toto and his bichon puppy friend (with paralysed back legs) Bitsy would be able to stay together, and now they will!   I know I'll miss watching these two gorgeous boys playing non-stop but I couldn't be happier that they won't need to be separated.

It was almost impossible to get a photo of these two puppies Bitsy and Toto

I'm sure I don't really need to mention that it's almost the weekend and that means Peak to Fong 2018 on Sunday.  The cooler weather has arrived just in time to make the walk down from the Peak a comfortable one and not too hot and sweaty, so everyone should arrive at Lan Kwai Fong in good shape.

The police have requested that we start the walk thirty minutes later than our original time of eleven, so that means les of a rush to get there if you're coming from the islands or New Territories.

⚠️⚠️ATTENTION All Peak To Fong 2018 Walkers⚠️⚠️

Please note that the starting time of our walk will be postponed for 30 minutes i.e. starting at 11:30 a.m. as per police’s request for there is another event happening at The Peak Galleria at the same time.

There will also be a slight change on the route, with the starting point being moved to Findlay Path (opposite to Tsui Wah Restaurant). Directions will be provided along the route from the Peak to LKF by our volunteers.

See you on Sunday!

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.🐾

Weds 21st Nov: Puppies galore again

These 7 pups' birthday is now officially 13th October

We have so many baby pups that I've lost track of who is who and where they all are, but I know that some more left the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre today for their respective foster homes and am very grateful to everyone who offered to help.  I made a point of estimating a date of birth for as many as I could, so the most recent litter now have the 1st of November as their official birthday, while the previous babies' big day is the 13th of October.  Time flies, and the seven born last month will soon be due their first vaccination  even if it is a bit earlier than the ideal age of eight weeks.

Mimsy, Bimble and Candy

In addition to the two litters of very young pups we have the three black-and-tan sisters of Mimsy, Bimble and Candy, plus the very similar singleton Ruth, and  plenty more who are just that little bit older. Of those, brothers Tommy and Ben have taken over the coveted residence at Whiskers N Paws while Blake and Sassy have moved back to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre.

The six new babies have been allocated 1st Nov as their date of birth

Outside of the dogs themselves, all focus is now on this coming Sunday's Peak to Fong 2018 which means taking last minute orders for ticket/T-shirts as well as sorting the piles of prizes, and goody bag gifts which will need to to moved to Lan Kwai Fong very early on Sunday morning.  The logistics of organising and preparing for a big event like Peak to Fong begin months in advance and, just like Christmas, suddenly it's all over for another year.

The official Disney T-shirt is only available to thoe wearing the Peak to Fong 2018 T-shirt

If you would still like to buy your ticket/T-shirt online we will be able to hand out the T-shirts on the Peak, but only if they have been pre-paid.  There will be no sales of anything until we reach Lan Kwai Fong at the end of the walk, and please remember too that the Disney T-shirts will only be available to those participants who are already wearing a Peak to Fong 2018 T-shirt.  There is always such a huge demand for the Disney designs with only a limited number available, which is why to be fair we have to restrict the sales to those who have supported the main event.

***

📣📣 詢眾要求，Peak to Fong 2018 T-shirt將再度開放網上訂購，並安排於Peak to Fong活動當日起步前直接於山頂廣場領取T-shirt。名額有限，有興趣者請盡快訂購好讓我們作出這項特別安排：https://hongkongdogrescue.com/e…/p2f2018/ticket-information/

📣📣 Due to overwhelming requests, online order of Peak to Fong 2018 T-shirts are re-opened with the purchased T-shirts being picked up by participants at The Peak on the event day. Offers are limited. If you are planning to join and buy your T-shirts, please place your order now so we can make arrangements: https://hongkongdogrescue.com/e…/p2f2018/ticket-information/

#PeaktoFong #PeaktoFong2018 #HKDR #Brabaconne #Mickco