Sun 7th Aug: Hello sunshine!

 I want to start with sharing the photos from today's puppy party at Whiskers N Paws, with thanks once again to Jimmy Tsang for his time and photography skills  Puppy Adoption Day 7th August 2022.  Happily the sun was out for the day and the doggie deckchairs were all set out and ready for their occupants (which made me smile). 

Adorable June was chosen today

This week we had an on-site adoption, and June was the lucky girl going to start her new life.  She is one of the "J" litter of puppies we think will be medium sized as adults, and I have to admit that Jack is my new dream (now that Muddy's adopted), even if I can't have him. 

Fuzzy Jack

As mentioned yesterday and again just now, Muddy went home today from Kennedy Town the minute the doors opened, and her adoption was followed by puppy Kai, and then Kenny.  

Gorgeous Muddy

You may remember that Kai was the one who swallowed a $2 coin and a hair grip, and once he'd got over that little episode he joined the Kennel Cough Club.  While waiting for him to recover, his would-be adopter ended up in quarantine herself, so it was a great relief to see him finally go to the home that had been lined up for him some time ago.

Sweet Kenny found his family

Kai has been waiting for this moment

Two of the younger puppies who were part of the "M" intake also found their forever families today, and at the same time.  The photo shown McFly and Mopsy with their respective adopters, leaving our North Street facility. 

McFly and Mopsy

The three shibas that I mentioned were due to arrive turned up as arranged, and we already have quite a lot on interest in the boy puppy, a breeder reject due to him having a toe missing.  The other two are females, not old by any means (probably two years), but used and abused before being kicked out, in typical breeder fashion. Take a look at them as they are now, because I want to remember these photos when they've fully recovered and look whole again.

Two other little dogs have already started on their road to recovery, and the difference is clear to see after even just a short time.  Shih tzu Meadow is blind, thanks to untreated dry eye, but at an estimated eight years of age she's not an old dogs by any means, and being blind is something that dogs can cope with very well.  Meadow is currently staying at our small Ap Lei Chau Centre at 21 Main Street, but a foster home would be welcome, if not a forever family. 

Ginny 

Meadow already looks so much better

Schnauzer Ginny is only six years old, but she needed to have emergency surgery when she arrived (as another suspected ex-breeder throw-out).  Ginny came from AFCD along with another schnauzer and two poodles, all the same age and all with heartworm.  That will be the next stage of their treatment.

Sat 6th Aug: Sizzling Saturday

 I'm not referring to the weather in the sizzling title, more to the number of adoptions that took place today.  This has been building up over the past week or so, with those keen to adopt often waiting to leave quarantine and hoping that the dog they chose was still available, or families coming back a second time to make the final decision.

Timmy leaving to begin his trial 

Almost all of today's dogs left from Kennedy Town, but I'm going to start with a Tai Po dog, Timmy, who is now "brother" to another ex-HKDR boy, Finn.  We had to wait to see if the two dogs would get along, and happily that turned out to be a yes, meaning Timmy's adoption is confirmed.  One lucky dog out of hundreds still waiting for their big day to come. 

Finn (front) and Timmy

Jenkins

Moving over to the Hong Kong side, I'll list the lucky dogs for today as follows:  Jenkins (second time lucky), new poodle girl Gaby, adorable terrier Halo, Tobias and newish girl Mustard.

Gaby

  

Halo

Tobias 

Puppy Joanna's foster parent joined the "Failed Foster Club" today too, but I'll have to wait for that happy adoption photo. 

I can also mention that Mustard's room mate Muddy will be leaving first thing on Sunday, again when her parents-to-be escape from quarantine.  

For those who were hoping to adopt a small-medium dog and missed out on this particular group, we're always expecting to get a message saying there are more on their way, so keep reading my blog for the latest updates.  I can tell you now that we have three ex-breeder shibas coming, maybe as early as Sunday, with two being young females and one a boy puppy (with a missing toe). 

Sunday at Whiskers N Paws will also be introducing some new puppies who are now ready to meet the public.  Jack is the one I have my eye on, as he's a gorgeous big-eared terrier type with a fuzzy face. 

Jack in his foster home

Mustard

DEBUT of six foster puppies: Jack, Joe, Jude, Trudy, Tatum and Taylor at Sunday's Puppy Adoption Party! You can also meet our HKDR resident ambassadors Drummond, Drake and Ike.

EVERY SUNDAY 2pm- 4pm at Whiskers N Paws! 10/F Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau

There are MORE PUPPIES staying at our Kennedy Town Homing Centre too,

Shop4, G/F, Brilliant Court, Sai Hong Lane, 28 Praya, Kennedy Town

Please remember to complete the adoption questionnaire as a first step for all adoptions: https://hongkongdogrescue.com/.../adoption-questionnaire/.

Fri 4th Aug: Sorry I missed you Inez

Inez is now Lizzy in her new home

 I completely missed mentioning the adoption of puppy Inez on Thursday, so I'm going to do that first thing today.  Inez, now Lizzy, is one of a beautiful litter, and unfortunately for them they got caught up in the kennel cough outbreak which meant us having to temporarily put adoptions on hold from the Kennedy Town Homing Centre.  

Gambit and his new family

Also leaving from Kennedy Town today, akita Gambit has a poodle friend to play with in his new home. As Gambit is still a puppy, even if an older one, I'm sure the two will have lots of fun together.

Gaby is not one of the assumed breeder dogs

I mentioned the poodles and schnauzers that came from AFCD on Thursday, and although I haven't actually asked if this is the case, I now feel that four of them are actually ex-breeder dogs.  The reason is not only that they all have heartworm, but one of the schnauzers, Ginny, was such a mess inside that despite a heart murmur and the heartworm I agreed to going ahead with surgery to prevent potential pyometra (infected uterus) developing.  There was a long list of problems reported after the vet check at ALCVC,  including very large ovaries on both sides, suggesting cystic ovaries or cancer.  Likewise the uterine horn was enlarged (possible pyometra or cancer), and on top of that there was the heart murmur, heartworm, abdominal pain, ear and eye infection and heavy tartar on the teeth.  Agreeing to surgery meant also understanding that Ginny may die on the table, but I felt that urgent treatment was the best way to go, a bit like quickly ripping a sticking plaster off.  I'm happy to report that Ginny made it through, and without all of the troublesome internal parts she will start to feel a lot better very quickly.  This is a typical breeder dog case, thrown out when they're no longer able to reproduce. 

13-19 North Street, Kennedy Town

It's the weekend coming up (in case you hadn't noticed) and I know that's going to mean a lot of potential adopters visiting our Kennedy Town Homing Centre.  Due to the small size of the Centre, we do ask that everyone starts off by completing the adoption questionnaire (www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire) and waits for a reply before coming.  Some of the dogs are lucky enough to have lots of interest, so we need to be able to inform potential adopters if the dog or puppy they're asking about is still available, and where it is staying.   Finally the sign is up outside the North Street location, although most of the dogs and puppies are staying at the Homing Centre in Brilliant Court. 

For the Tai Po Homing Centre, although space isn't an issue there is a shortage of staff available to assist with adoptions, so again we do ask that people don't just turn up without having first completed the questionnaire.  If we know what you're looking for, the suitable dogs can be ready and waiting for your visit, rather than wasting time gathering them from all over the place.  We also have what is called a "Free Running" period, which is just what it sounds like, a time when the dogs are let out to run around freely.  This takes place between 1pm and 3pm, so it's not the easiest time to meet the dogs. 

Thurs 4th Aug: A Homing Centre packed with puppies

 I'm a bit late with writing today's post because I've been busy replying to emails about the small dogs whose photos were shared on Facebook yesterday.  Muddy is currently the most popular, and as always I have to remind everyone that there is only one of each dog, so even if all of the homes offered are really suitable we can still only let one take Muddy home.  I happen to agree that she's absolutely gorgeous and I would personally love to adopt her if it wasn't for the tricky situation of already having a house filled with dogs! 

Google and Ginger have been adopted

These aee just some of the puppies

We also have a Homing Centre at Kennedy Town filled with puppies, all eager to be the one chosen to go to a home and to become part of a real family. 

The new dogs arrived from AFCD yesterday, and for some reason I had totally missed that there were three poodles, not two, along with the two schnauzers, all six years old.  Sadly all but one of them, a poodle, tested positive for heartworm, so once again I have to remind everyone that that unless you give your dogs heartworm prevention, the chances are high that they will be bitten by a mosquito and be infected with the parasite. It doesn't matter where you live, but the New Territories and islands are at higher risk due to the environment. 

Clara has a soft bed now

The ten year-old Rottweiler, now called Clara, had also had heartworm but was treated for it and was lucky enough to be offered a foster home. 

I was at our HKDR@Elgin location today helping new recruit Cam to move the furniture around now that the office desks and cabinets have gone.  The store is begging to look really good and we have so much great merchandise for sale, for dogs and T-shorts for humans too.  Please drop by if you're in the Soho area to take a look, and hopefully to pick up some great gifts for yourself and your dog friends. 

Weds 3rd Aug: A long puppy list

Lucky Snoop

 Pug Snoop's stay with us at the "Red Dog" Centre at Ap Lei Chau didn't last for very long, and he left today with his new family for what I believe will be a definite upgrade from his previous situation.  Good for you Snoop!

Lucky Ginger

Puppy Ginger was today's lucky winner at Kennedy Town, and she too didn't have to wait very long to find her forever home.

The other puppies at our Kennedy Town Homing Centre are growing like weeds, as puppies do, and it's so frustrating to be in this summer adoption slump when so many people are away on holiday. Life is never fair, and puppies born at the wrong time of year miss out on opportunities that other puppies have, meaning that they will very likely have to move to the big Tai Po Homing Centre before very long. 

That wouldn't be a problem if we didn't already have so many dogs staying there, and we're really in need of additional volunteers to help with the basic tasks of cleaning, feeding and general duties.  Anyone over eighteen can sign up to help without having to attend one of the orientation sessions that we ask potential dog walkers to apply for, and as a cleaning volunteer I suspect you'll find it pretty easy to automatically transition to becoming a dog walker.  You can email Yannie (yannie@hongkongdogrescue.com or yannie.hkdr@gmail.com) to sign up, or send a message to our Hong Kong Dog Rescue Facebook page.

Here is the current list of puppies available, both at Kennedy Town and in foster.  If you're interested in meeting any of them please start by completing the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

HKDR Kennedy Town Homing Centre - Shop 4, G/F, Brilliant Court, Sai Hong Lane, 28 Praya, Kennedy Town

Edgar (M) and Evan (M)

Clio (F) and Cole (M)

Molly (F)

Poppy (F)

Kyle (M), Kai (M) and Kenny (M) 

Dawn (F), Darwin (M) and Duke (M) 

Alan (M) and Aria (F) 

Indie (F), Inez (F) and Impi (M)

Faye (M)

Gambit (M), George (M) and Gregory (M) 

HKDR North Street - Shop 4, G/F, Cheong Yue Mansion, 13-19 North Street, Kennedy Town

McFly (M), Mambo (M), Mopsy (F), Muppet (M), Mojo (M) and Moose (M)

Hudson (M) and Holly (F) 

Whiskers N paws - 10/F Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau 

Drummond (M) and Drake (M)

Ike (M)

Foster homes Hong Kong Island

Charlie and Cressie (F) Chung Hom Kok

Roland (M) Pok Fu Lam

Taylor (F) and Tatum (F) Mid-levels

Tatum (F) and Taylor (F) Sheung Wan

Tanya (F) and Tabitha (F) Kennedy Town

Maize (F) and Munchie (M)  Sai Ying Pun

Tilly (F) Wan Chai 

Joanna (F) Wan Chai

Felli (F) Wan Chai

Freda (F) Wan Chai

Azaria (F) Happy Valley (Instagram  @zeldainthevalley )

Titan (M) and Tina (F) Happy Valley 

Zippy (M) North Point

Jude (M) Tai Tam

Foster homes Kowloon and New Territories

Ottilie (F)  Tsim Sha Tsui

June (F) and Josh (M)  Ho Man Tin

Joe (M) and Jack (M) Kowloon Tong

Trudy (F) Ma On Shan

Mascot (M) and Misty (F) Tseung Kwan O

I need to mention once again that our email system is in disarray, and messages are being blocked or bounced back, so if you're sending to our hongkongdogrescue.com email, you can try the Gmail alternative.

Tues 2nd Aug: Another visiting day for the small Lamma dogs

Leo, Piper, 3 "Crickets", Rumble, Phaedra and Donny

 Tuesdays are now regular visiting days for Iris to come to Lamma, sometimes alone but often with another volunteer or staff member.  Not all of the dogs that stay in my part of the world are realistically available for adoption, but in theory they all are, especially the small ones or the medium-sized ex-Shy Squad that used to stay upstairs at the old Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre. 

There's a reason why these particular dogs aren't staying at the Kennedy Town Homing Centre, and it's not just because we have no space, it's that they are either very nervous with strangers, or they can't cope with the crowds or situation.  In the photo you'll see almost all of the dogs staying at the Small Dog House, but River still hides away when people she doesn't know are around, and of the four "Cricket Family" there's usually at least one (Blanche) who prefers to stay inside.  Little Banjo also has his own area in the house where he prefers to stay too. Black-and-white Rumble is River's best friend, and he's a funny kind of character who's quite independent but also likes attention - on his own terms.  In this group of dogs you'll find such a variety of personalities and temperaments, but they all get along and enjoy their lives, especially on visiting days which involve extra treats and visits to the beach for those who like to go out.   It really shows that every dog is potentially adoptable, as long as the home, family and environment is suitable. 

We have some new small dogs coming from AFCD on Thursday, not youngsters but still not too old at six years.  There are two schnauzers and two poodles, and I'm assuming that they have all come from the same family, so if at all possible we would love to home them in pairs. 

There's also a senior Rottweiler coming, and a foster home for her would really be the best we could hope for.  Please email Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com (or fster.hkdr@gmail.com) if you can help this poor old girl.

We are really urgently in need of volunteers at our Tai Po Homing Centre to help out generally, meaning with cleaning and tidying and doing whatever needs to be done to keep the place running.  These are not the dog walking volunteers, for which an orientation is needed, but anyone over 18 years of age who is willing to help out.  Please email yannie@hongkongdogrescue.com (or yannie.hkdr@gmail.com) to sign up, or leave a message on our https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue Facebook page, and thank you to everyone who has pitched in so far.  

Mon 1st Aug: The office has moved to North Street

 There was a virtual stampede of applications to adopt the Australian shepherd puppy Harvey, after his photo and details were posted on our Facebook and Instagram pages, and the lucky family rushed straight over to take him home.  As I had to point out to one very unhappy potential adopter who missed out, unfortunately there is only one of each dog, so even if there are a lot of very good homes offered there's still only one that will get that particular dog.  However there are also many other equally deserving dogs and puppies, and I really hope that at least some of those very nice potential homes asking for Harvey will choose another instead.

Maybe it will be akita inu Gambit, or the two brothers George and Gregory that came with him and who are also just medium sized.

  Or maybe it will be one of the "Ears Litter", also gorgeous puppies. 

Snoop

We also have four year-old pug Snoop, a sweet and funny boy who's staying at our Red Dog Centre in Ap Lei Chau, our last foothold in that area.

Once again I want to mention the literally hundreds of hopefuls staying at our big Tai Po Homing Centre, and the now-older puppies in foster homes who have yet to be chosen.

North Street is still waiting for the signage outside

Apart from the dogs it was a big day for the human staff at Kennedy Town, as the office was finally moved from the temporary space at HKDR@Elgin to 13-19 North Street.  The renovation took a few months as the space will also serve as a quarantine area for new or sick dogs and puppies, as well as potentially a new Red Dog Centre, although at the rate the newcomers are arriving I suspect we'll be staying at Ap Lei Chau for a while yet.  Please make a note of the official address of the new Headquarters, as this will be our mailing address and drop-off point for donations. It's HKDR, Shop 4, G/F, Cheong Yue Mansion, 13-19 North Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong.  

The HKDR@Elgin space will now be used for its original purpose, which is as a shop and a training centre for dogs and their humans.  Apart from the well-established Positive Partners training course, we will also be hosting a variety of workshops and puppy socialisation classes, details of which will be shared very soon. We also welcomed new staff member Cam to the HKDR Family, and I'm sure she'll be kept busy over the coming days sorting everything out and setting up the store properly.  Please drop by to see what's there and to say hello.