Mon 17th Aug: HKDR dogs are all over the world

 Following on from Sunday's incredible adoption-fest, as hoped the brother-and-sister couple of Ticket and Fidget finally found their forever home together.  It took some time because we didn't want to separate them, but at last their big day arrived.

Also staying home, rather than going, we got very happy news from the foster parent of Hailey that she's now adopted.  Hailey's story was a very sad one that many of you might remember, as she was originally adopted along with another dog Otis, and they were later left tied up outside SPCA Wanchai by their then-owner.  It was such an incredibly cruel and heartless thing to do and it almost cost Otis his life as he bit someone in his sheer panic as the dogs were being untied from the railing, and it took a lot of negotiation to prevent him from being put to sleep as a result.  Both dogs then came to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre where they were very easy to take care of, and they subsequently found separate foster homes.

Sadly Otis turned out to have a serious heart problem so he's on medication for that, but he's happy with his foster parent who takes good care of him. 

Coincidentally I got two adoption updates today about two brothers, one was called Brian (now Kobe) and the other was Deacon (now Oscar).  The third brother was Freddie, so any fans of the rock band Queen might recognise the theme there.   Oscar's update was sent from his new home in California, while Kobe is still in Hong Kong (with his favourite teddy).

Another very happy update came from Spencer's adopters who are now living in Scotland, where Spencer is having the best time with so much space to run and play. 

You can see the full updates and sets of photos on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/

It's such a great feeling to know that our dogs are living all over the world, spreading the news about adoption and HKDR.  

Sun 16th Aug: A whirlwind at Ap Lei Chau

 Getting straight down to business, it was an adoption whirlwind at the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre today with visitors still arriving long after we had "sold out" of dogs.  We do still have puppies Pudsy and William available, as well as the tiny couple of Ticket and Fidget, but I hope they will also be going soon and maybe as early as Monday.  Igloo is also still waiting for the right home but we have the patience, especially after today's huge news that French bulldog Romeo finally found the home of his dreams! 

"It’s incredible! Romeo is now - after a few hours with us - completely normal, relaxed and bonded as if he had been with us in the past.

The car drive from Ap Lei Chau to Sai Kung was very exciting for him. He wanted to see as much as possible. At home in the garden he controlled the area and then quickly wanted to get inside. He checked the house twice over all floors and rooms and then wanted to play with us. Then he checked all the seating and sleeping possibilities. Now he is relaxing with my daughter.

A big compliment to you and your team! Although being angry with other dogs, you were able to keep him healthy mentally. That’s exceptional!!

Your work is making dogs and people happy! Thank you for everything."

Ava the pom went to a home with another ex-HKDR dog, and puppy Goose was also adopted in the morning. 

Poodle Ziggy followed, and then Yorkie Bubby who had been to the vet in the morning and checked out fine other than the skin problem we already knew about.  

I'm always happy and grateful to get news of the dogs and how they are taking to their new surroundings, and this was from Ziggy's new family: "Hi Sally and team

I wanted to thank you so much for helping us adopt darling Ziggy. 

He's an absolute delight and we're so blessed to have him. 

Ziggy seems to be settling in well so far, and is enjoying chilling out and following us around rather curiously!

Thank you again for taking such good care of Ziggy and for making the adoption process so easy and seamless!"

There was futher happy news about two Tai Po dogs, Lucy and Brandon, both of whom had gone home for a trial period and have now had their adoptions confirmed.  Lucy had previously been in a home where she found living with several noisy children to be too much, so we had to make sure this time it was adults only with no chance of babies coming along.

Brandon was a young and relatively recent addition so his settling-in has been quite easy and problem-free.  Huge thanks to both sets of adopters for giving a new start and life to both Lucy and Brandon. 

Sat 15th Aug: Lucky day for the lucky few

 As expected I received many enquiries about the new Yorkie Bubby, so many that I won't be considering any further requests.  It was a lucky day indeed when he was thrown away by his previous owner, someone who couldn't even be bothered to have him licensed let alone treat his skin.   Thank you to everyone who offered a home to this lovely little boy, and please do keep watching for new arrivals that might also be suitable. 

There were two other very lucky little dogs today, one being Mia the poodle who had been a breeder dog before being handed over to AFCD.  

Bichon Beanie was surrendered to us directly for having extreme behaviour issues, all of which disappeared as soon as he was with us and now he's gone to a new home with a dog friend to play with.

As has been proven time and time again, it's extremely rare that it's the dogs who have the problem, and as with Beanie, shiba King and so many more, all it takes is giving the dogs some space and time.

Yet another lucky dog who escaped from a very sad situation of being left alone for long hours and rarely walked, senior labrador Mocha's life changed completely when she was adopted today. 

While these dogs were setting out on the next stage of their lives, five little boy puppies were just beginning theirs when they arrived at Ap Lei Chau and went straight to waiting foster homes. 

Fri 14th Aug: The rewards of adopting

 We never know what each day is going to bring in terms of dogs and puppies turning up or other surprises, and without giving anything away at this point I'm really really excited about one potential adoption, but that will have to wait until - and if - it actually happens.

Today's surprise was a tiny Yorkshire terrier found abandoned at the side of a road, and although the volunteers that spotted it suspected which home it came from, the person inside refused to open the door. Of course I agreed to take the poor little Yorkie, knowing he had what looked like scabies and expecting him to be a senior, so it was a happy surprise to find that he's a young dog, probably just a year old.  He didn't have a microchip so I was able to get him licensed straight away, and Bubby is now officially an HKDR dog.  He still needs to see a vet and that will happen on Sunday, but for now he's settled at the Homing Centre.   Scabies (mange) is infectious to other dogs so Bubby will have to be kept separated for now, but it's very easy to treat. I don't think we'll be waiting long for a home for this little boy anyway.

The weekend's here again and I anticipate another busy couple of days at both Homing Centres, but please remember to complete the adoption questionnaire in advance of your visit if you're planning to come to meet the dogs.  You can find it at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ 

Puppies and small/medium adults stay at our smaller Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre while medium and large young-to-senior adults are at the very large Tai Po Homing Centre.  We get many enquiries about certain breeds of puppies like poodles and the various doodle-type crosses, golden retrievers and so on, but we are not breeders or a pet shop so it's extremely rare for such puppies to come to us.  Adoption means giving a second chance to dogs that are in need of help, it doesn't mean supporting the horrible and cruel pet trade, but the reward in knowing you have changed a dog's life far outweighs the short-lived cuteness of a pet shop puppy. 

Thurs 13th Aug: Rain or shine, we're open and waiting

 Once again it seemed that there's a right time for a certain dog to find a home, and today it was Yorkie Dublin's turn.  Suddenly we had a lot of adoption enquiries about him, and today the perfect opportunity came along, the papers were signed and off he went to start his new life.  He's already doing well and is busy exploring.  

I'm never concerned about the smaller dogs at the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre as I know their own chance will come along sooner or later, as we're happy to wait for the right one.  Little poodle Mia and pom Ava, for example, are both very sweet girls so there's no rush.

Some of the smaller dogs do have some behaviour quirks that mean we have to be particular about which home they go to, but again we'll wait for the right one to come along.  Wilfred is one of those dogs who could be perfect for the suitable adopter https://www.facebook.com/HKDR.DOGGIES/videos/1165664780472229/, and the same applies to our shiba inus-in-waiting, King, Gumbo (pictured) and Damson, all young dogs who only need a patient and understanding person. 

I'm getting a lot of enquiries about volunteering with people having time on their hands or just wanting to help out at weekends.  The problem is that every new volunteer has to undergo some training, whether at Tai Po or Ap Lei Chau Homing Centres, and those who do the orientations are themselves volunteers, as are the respective volunteer coordinators.  We don't employ anyone to handle enquiries or the training so it can take time to arrange everything, especially during this difficult period.  So to everyone who's asking do we need more volunteers the answer is yes, and particularly on weekdays and at our Tai Po Homing Centre when we can arrange a fast-tracked orientation.  If you only have weekends free then please be patient and wait for your notification of available dates. 

Weds 12th Aug: The continuing story of dogs out, and in

 As ex-warehouse dog Kaylee was adopted today and is already settling in her new home , we took in two more "warehouse" doglets to take her place at Tai Po.  They're really the perfect age for adoption having passed the baby stage of biting and chewing but still being classified as puppies.  

Another smaller dog was adopted from our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, and Max has now gone to live with another, much larger, ex-HKDR dog and again he seems to be very happy in his new surroundings. 

Following the disappointing and very short-lived trial adoption of shiba inu King, I thought it was time to give him some promotion as the breed is so popular, even though not the easiest of dogs.  Since his arrival King has been very well behaved, and I know in the right home he'll continue to do well.  

As with all adoption enquiries please start by completing the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

King, 4 years old,  is a typical shiba inu in looks and behaviour, meaning he needs an experienced adopter who understands the breed and their behaviour.  King is an easygoing boy in most regards but he would prefer a home with a garden so he can have some space to run around.  He gets on well with other dogs as long as they don't bother him, walks well on a leash and understands basic commands. As with all shiba inu we would not home King to a family with children.

Tues 11th Aug: Matching the home and the dog is vital

 After having agreed to take the multiple puppies in need of help, and Cindy having arranged foster homes for as many as possible, we were on standby in the morning to receive sixteen of them.  I was sent photos of the poor things crammed into cages and on their way, but knew it would be for a short time and then we could get them out and into care, whether at the Homing Centre or in foster.  Suddenly there was another message saying someone else was taking the puppies so they wouldn't be coming after all, and while we didn't really need such a large intake all at once it's still annoying to say the least.   So thank you to everyone who had offered to help with fostering the puppies, and apologies for the last-minute change.

We do have other puppies in foster care and two of them came back today, but still being too young to be adopted they went straight to another foster home for a couple of weeks.  Also one of the three other puppies recently returned from foster was adopted today, and that lucky girl was Prissy.

We've had so many enquiries about the bichon Beanie, but something that happened today reinforced what we already know about how the right home can make such a difference to a dog's behaviour.  

Another dog that had been surrendered due to apparent behaviour issues, and like Beanie had been prescribed the anti-anxiety medication Clomicalm (which in many cases makes the behaviour worse as well as having other awful side effects). Now called King, this shiba inu came back to Lamma for some rest and rehab and was perfectly behaved from the minute he arrived, in fact it was hard to believe he had any issues at all. He seemed to be a good candidate for adoption and went for a trial yesterday, but was returned after less than a day.  He had been fighting with the resident shiba and his attitude was so completely different from the laid-back and happy boy he'd been on Lamma.  Once again it was clear that it's not the dog that has the problem, and that finding the right home to suit the needs and character of every dog is so important. 

We all know that Hong Kong isn't a city that welcomes dogs unless you live out in the countryside or on one of the Outlying Islands, so when I was asked by one of our puppy adopters if I could help share the following petition I was glad to help.  The problem everywhere, and one that we have encountered may times when trying to get planning permission to build a new Homing Centre, is that it takes just one complaint or objection, however valid (or not) to put a stop on the whole project.   This is what happened here:

"I wanted to get in touch to get your thoughts on an issue in Wan Chai that's escalating with the dog owners community here.

Basically, quite a few people moved into Lee Tung Avenue because of the dog-friendly green space on the 5^th floor but because of the complaints from a single tenant, (which has escalated to the police, Lee Tung Avenue Management, SINO Group, and Urban Renewal Authority), the management are shutting the 5^th floor to dogs which is affecting the lifestyle of everyone who moved there for the space, plus the wider Wan Chai community

 

There’s a petition being signed to go to Lee Tung Avenue Management (http://chng.it/wWhPjHdgJs). It's also being covered on FB and picked up by Wan Chai district council member, Pak-kin Leung, who is concerned with the amount of green space for dogs in Wan Chai: https://www.facebook.com/Pakkin.Cousin/posts/1239485903060408"