Sun 18 Dec: Good news followed by very bad

Mambo is behind his new friend

Benjamin Po was back again for the last Puppy Party of the year at Whiskers N Paws, and there to record - at last - Mambo's adoption  Puppy Adoption Day 18th December 2022.  Thank you to all of the photographers who donated their time to record the puppies over the past twelve months, and over many years in fact, and especially Elena Mathew who is the coordinator as well as a regular photographer too. 

Azaria's last visit to WNP

 How could I miss writing about adoptions?  There were two I didn't mention yesterday, because the dogs didn't leave from any of our Homing Centres but rather stayed where they were.  The first was now-doglet Azaria, whose long-term fosters joined the Failed Foster Club, so huge congratulations, as well as thanks for giving Azaria the best Christmas present ever.  

Walter wants to join the girls

The second wasn't exactly a surprise as it was confirmation that Walter the Scottie would definitely not be coming back from his trial adoption, even if the much-smaller ex-HKDR Scottie girl Luna hasn't quite fallen for Walter's undoubted charms.  He's a lot bigger than she is (she's exceptionally small) so his enthusiastic play can be a bit much at times.  Luna is also best friends with the other girl dog, Poppy, so Walter is forever trying to join the two in their bed.  I have been sent quite a few photos of this scenario, which are both very sweet but kind of sad too.  I'm sure Walter will eventually win. 

We had such a lovely donation today

There was a beautiful donation at our Tai Po Homing Centre when ex-HKDR dog Tilda (now fifteen years old) came with her family to hand over a cheque for $2423.  This was achieved by the young daughter who played her violin on the street to raise funds, a very sweet thought and gesture for Christmas, and thank you so much!

Now on to the bad news, and there was plenty to end the day.  Once again this all happened just when the day was winding down, and the messages went on until late.  I even took my phone to bed with me, which is something I never do normally, but I wanted to be able to reply or receive any updates. 

One of the "J" puppies that we took in on Wednesday wasn't at all well so we sent her to ALCVC as an emergency case, where she tested positive for parvovirus.  Of course then all of the litter had to be tested, and in the end only one, Judy, showed up as negative, but all of them were kept at the clinic in isolation.  We really didn't expect this to happen, although of course all unvaccinated puppies are at risk from these infectious diseases, but the "J" litter were a bit older and had been with the rescuer for a month before coming to us. In any case we have our own quarantine section at the North Street, Kennedy Town, location so we can keep all newcomers separated initially. 

Apart from the obvious danger to the puppies' lives from this most horrible virus, as much as I don't want to mention money in such a situation, keeping five puppies in hospital and under intensive care isn't cheap.  HKDR hasn't been immune to the rising cost of everything, or to the dramatic drop in income, and there is a real danger if things don't change that we will run into serious financial difficulties before very long.   We really need help with covering the costs of vet bills, and I'm sure you all know how expensive it is when your pet is sick.  You donations at this time would be very much appreciated, and you can find out the details here: https://hongkongdogrescue.com/donate/one-off-donations/

To end the day there was the awful news that one of our recently adopted small dogs, Speedy-now-Lalo, had run off in an area he didn't know and had been reported by a witness as having been hit by a car before disappearing.  I haven't seen or heard any updates this morning, but the night was so cold and Lalo may be badly injured.  Lalo's family are currently out of Hong Kong but they can't be reached via WhatsApp as shown below. 

Lalo was lost in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, on Sunday 18 Dec, and was reported being seem running towards the rubbish station near Chung Ku Tsuen after being hit by a car. If you see this dog, please call 95829084 immediately, or WhatsApp 59278676.

Sat 17th Dec: Last chance before 2023

 Because I have to take every day as it comes and not think about what's been or what's coming, I hadn't realised until today that Christmas Day and New Year's Day both fall on a Sunday.  That means that this weekend is the last Whiskers N Paws Puppy Party of the year, even though the store will be open on both days.  Of course we have two, sometimes three, puppies staying as full time guests at Whiskers N Paws, and they will be there to meet and greet and hopefully charm their way into a home, but otherwise our Kennedy Town Centres are open every single day if you want to meet the available puppies.   The two Centres are at Shop 4, Brilliant Court, Sai Hong Lane, 28 Praya Kennedy Town, and 13-19 North Street. They're a few minutes from each other so you can easily visit both to meet the puppies. 

Why is Mambo still waiting?

We also have the small-to-medium dogs staying at our HKDR@Elgin location, 22 Elgin Street, Soho, where they're waiting for adoption.  They seem to be quite cosy with their cushions and blankets to ward off the cold, but a real home would be what they really want.  Also remember that we need volunteers to help out, especially at weekends and holidays, because Cam can't be there every day.  You can email her at elgin@hongkongdogrescue.com if you have time to spare, especially as most of the dogs would love to go out to walks (unlike the previous groups of "F" puppies).

Helga is definitely a fan of the pillows

Harvey is also one of the "H" intake, but falling halfway between being a young puppy and a doglet, he's staying at our Kennedy Town Centre.  He's five months old and definitely a small-medium (as an adult).

Little Harvey looks very much like Hester

Roman is the big puppy on the left

Talking once again about the beautiful "F" litter, everyone who has come to meet them so far has ended up agreeing that they're still quite timid.  I'm sure once in a home with one-on-one attention they would open up a lot, but there would really need to be another dog to show them the way.  At least these potential adopters have all left taking another puppy with them, and today it was Roman's turn to step into the place of the "F" puppy that was the original choice. 

I'm sure I don't need to remind you that we have hundreds of wonderful dogs at our Tai Po Homing Centre waiting to be noticed, so please start your search for that perfect one by completing the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.  We can help narrow down the options by suggesting those that will be best suited to your home and lifestyle.  

Fri 16th Dec: Blast from the past (as well as the icy wind)

 Even if I don't have any puppy adoptions from Kennedy Town to write about there's something even better as far as I'm concerned,  as two doglets who started off life with HKDR as young puppies went home together.  Evan and Edgar were always a bit shy, so seeing that they will always have each other to rely on is really wonderful.   

Young Edgar and Evan at KT (with sister Esme)

That's Dave nibbling my ear

As it happens their adopter took a dog from me back in the days when all of the dogs lived with me on Lamma, and he said that was about twenty years ago.  I even have a photo of myself and Dave from those long-ago days, so even though he has long since gone I remembered him well and was happy knowing that Evan and Edgar would be well looked after.

This is a cage and it's too small

We haven't been having much luck with our recent puppy fosters over the past week, as the puppies have been coming back as fast as they're going out.  It's either allergy problems, diarrhoea or sleepless nights, with even the neighbours calling the police in one case because of the noise of crying puppies.  Really there shouldn't be any crying if there's a pair of puppies unless they are confined in a small space, which is just one of the many reasons why we don't support or like what's called crate training.  Whether it's a crate, cage or a too-small pen, puppies need to be able to move away from their bed and food/water for toilet needs (especially if they have an upset stomach), so there has to be a space that's large enough to allow for this.  We suggest using a gate or fence to block off a room, ideally the kitchen for easy cleaning, where puppies can be safe but at the same time have a large enough area that they don't feel trapped. 

Thurs 15th Dec: Two happy brothers

 I know, I know, the "F" puppies are beautiful, and I melt when I see them too. I'm sure they're going to grow into handsome adults, and if I had to pick just one it would be very hard to do.  However, although they've improved so much since first arriving, with thanks to the volunteers who spent so much time with them coaxing them out of their shells,  compared with the other instantly-friendly puppies they still have a way to go.  That's not to say that they can't be adopted yet, it just means that we're looking for homes where there is another resident dog who can help with the ongoing confidence building. 

Bosco is a beautiful puppy

This is why two potential adopters who came to meet the "F" puppies ended up leaving with different ones, and just as beautiful in my opinion.  These brothers came to us with medium-sized Binky and Barbie, and at first we weren't sure if they were related in any way but later we established that they weren't.  Binky is still with us as the now-last of the four still waiting for a home. 

Bosco's brother Billy is also gorgeous

People tend to get fixated on a certain puppy just from seeing a photo, but it's important to keep an open mind and to meet all of the hopefuls before deciding.  Looks really are only superficial, especially when there are young children in the home and a shy puppy would find it very hard to cope with the noise and high energy of such a household. 

Terrier-type Binky is the last of the four

The weather is quite chilly and wet now, but we've been watching the forecasts with dismay as it's going to get even colder, and when you live up on a hill in Tai Po you can deduct a few more degrees from the general temperature.   A few dogs have been offered "Frostie Fosters" for the duration of this cold snap, so please consider taking in a four-legged guest if you can.  I do need to ask, however, that you're going to be able to keep the dog for the promised period, as it seems we have already had returns after just a day.  If you have a resident dog you will need to be able to separate the guest dog if necessary, as instant friendships can't be expected to happen. As a reminder, If you have fostered Tai Po dogs before, please email foster@hongkongdogrescue.com. If you are our new Frostie Foster, please complete the Foster Questionnaire (https://hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/ ) and our team will be in touch. 

Even more importantly, there are literally hundreds of dogs at our Tai Po Homing Centre waiting for their forever homes.  Sometimes I see a dog mentioned that I remember from years ago, and it makes me feel incredibly sad that he or she is still with us.  We have all ages from older puppy up, and sized from medium to large.  If you complete the adoption questionnaire our team will be able to suggest the most suitable dogs for your home and situation: www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Weds 14th Dec: We need help at our Tai Po Homing Centre

 I need to talk about the situation at our Tai Po Homing Centre as the cold and wet weather is forecast to get even colder, and we really need Frostie Fosters for the older dogs, and those with thin coats.  The staff (and there are really very few of them) have been trying to create windbreaks, put coats on the dogs that need them and throw fleecy blankets on the beds, but there are so many dogs and the task is huge.  

If you have time to spare please go to help, or even better bring a dog home for the duration of this particularly cold period.  Send an email to Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com if you can foster a medium-to-large dog, or if you have fostered for us before you can just go to the Tai Po Homing Centre to bring a dog home. 

The weather is going to turn terribly wet and cold, and we need Frostie Fosters for the dogs who are living outdoors in Tai Po!

To help out as a Frostie Foster, please make sure:

- You are able to pick up a foster dog from Tai Po Homing Centre before this weekend (preferably today or tomorrow)

- You can keep the foster dog until the cold spell breaks (expected to be next Wednesday)

- You have space at home to separate the foster dog for a few days, in case the foster dog doesn’t get along with your resident dogs (if any)

- You are able to handle a medium to large-sized dog, and to keep the foster dog safe from the risk of running away from your home or at walks.

If you have fostered Tai Po dogs before, please email foster@hongkongdogrescue.com. If you are our new Frostie Foster, please complete the Foster Questionnaire (https://hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/ ) and our team will be in touch. Thank you very much!

There was a flurry of interest in the "F" puppies after their photos were posted on Facebook, however a lot of potential adopters thought they were small sized when in fact they're probably going to be large as adults (with only Ford being a bit smaller).  They're also still quite shy even if they've made a lot of progress since coming to us, as at that time they were untouchable.  That means that we're really looking for homes where there's another dog that can act as a mentor, because having a timid dog on its own can be a challenge.  I'm sure that as they grow, and they're in the right kind of home, these puppies will turn out to be lovely dogs, and they're certainly very beautiful. 

Bosco will become Tommy

One couple who came rushing over to meet Fabian ended up choosing another puppy completely, and that lucky little fellow is Bosco.  He's going for his first vaccination on Thursday, so he'll be picked up afterwards with his new name of Tommy. 

9 lovely H puppies

  

I mentioned that we had needed fosters for the "H" puppies that arrived as part of a very large group on Monday, and all but one (Harvey, because he's a bit older) were picked up by their foster parents.  Unfortunately one foster reported that she was allergic to the two puppies that she'd taken home, so Hazel and Hadley will need a new place to stay. 

Today's J intake

We needed these puppies to move out to make space for another litter coming in, as they had been waiting for some time and were living outside in their rescuer's small shelter.  They are now the "J" group and there's some interesting faces for sure. 

These small-medium dogs are now at Elgin Street

The "H" adults that moved to our HKDR@Elgin location have settled very quickly, and they're all happy and friendly characters according to Cam, the manager at 22 Elgin Street.  We always need volunteers to help out, this time round for walking as well as cleaning and generally just being around the dogs, as Cam needs some days off.  If you are able to spare a few hours please email elgin@hongkongdogrescue.com to sign up.  Of course they're all available for adoption too!

Tues 13th Dec: All change, and Frostie Fosters needed

 All of the new (happy and friendly) "H" puppies were taken in for fostering today, except five month-old Harvey because he's old enough (and definitely cute enough) to find a forever home very soon.  We needed to move this intake out as quickly as possible because there's another litter of puppies that have been waiting for space at Kennedy Town, and every time we thought they could come another group arrived. Finally we all agreed that it was unfair to keep pushing this litter further down the waiting list so they'll arrive on Wednesday. 

Four of the "F" puppies at KT

Grant is home for Christmas

Two others left Kennedy Town today, one being puppy Grant, a very sweet boy.

The other was the last of the smuggling case puppies, this time Boogie the poodle.  

Boogie can start living a proper life now

While the "H" litter moved out from our Kennedy Town Centre, the "F" puppies moved over from Elgin Street to make space for the small-medium adult dogs.  We hope that the volunteers that have been so amazing with the puppies will enjoy a new kind of task, this time including walking the dogs.  Soho isn't the best environment for dog walking, and Elgin Street is being completely demolished block by block to make way for swanky new residential highrise towers.  Some of the dogs seem to be confident enough to handle the noise and narrow streets, but probably not all. 

Bimble's going to have a happy Christmas

I'd already mentioned that Bimble at our Tai Po Homing Centre had been given a second chance when being chosen the other day, and her formal going home arrived just in time to avoid the horrible cold and wet weather.

Almost all of our Tai Po dogs live outdoors, and while those with thick coats aren't really bothered by cold weather, we're asking for Frostie Fosters for the older residents and those like sharpei types with very thin coats.  This is for the duration of this cold and wet snap, so you don't have to worry about being stuck with a dog you can't really look after long term, even if we're thrilled when the foster period turns into something more. Please email Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com if you can offer a warm space in your home for a while. 

Mon 12th Dec: An early Christmas surprise

 Is there ever such a thing as a normal day at HKDR, other than normal meaning crazy in most languages?

"F" is for fluffy 

I did have some plans, but they were nothing more than having to meet up with Margaret, our HKDR Administrator, to update my HKID on some documents.  We'd arranged to do this at the Elgin Street location so I could take a look at the "F" puppies and see how they were getting on, and I was reminded of just how fluffily gorgeous they are.  A few are still a little bit shy, but others are very happy to say hello before flinging themselves back into the wrestling games.  

What changed what was supposed to be a relatively quiet day into mayhem was the message that arrived while I was walking the dogs in the morning, asking if we could take in quite a large number of dogs and puppies.  I asked for details of size and was told they were small, or smallish, so that was OK, but still, accommodating seventeen newcomers in one go was never going to be easy.  They all had to start off being checked at our North Street Centre, and I arrived there halfway through the process.

A totally mixed group of adults

If you had to describe what kind of dogs these are, if you can imagine wearing a blindfold and picking a variety of breeds to mix together, the result would be what we got.  There's one dog, now called Hector, who's the size and shape of a corgi, but he has the large head of something completely different. Helga is a petite scruffy terrier type, while Helen and Harlow appear to be related and are more medium than small.  Hester looks very much like the oldest of the puppies, a very cute black boy now called Harvey.  He's about five months old and he's definitely going to be  a small dog (as an adult). 

The head shots of the dogs and puppies can't convey what they really look like, or their size, so we're going to have to sort them out properly and decide where they're going to be staying.  The puppies do look as though they're going to grow to be either small or medium sized adults, but we can't give any guarantees about final size unless it's really obvious (like little Harvey). 

Tuesday will now mean more vet visits for health checks and licensing (for the adults), and hopefully sending some out to foster homes.  We're always worried about the health of these intakes as we have no idea where they have come from, although it does seem that at least some of the adults have been in homes before. 

Watch this space for updates if you're interested in potentially adopting, and in the meantime remember we have plenty (meaning a lot) of puppies and adults that are fully ready to go to their forever homes.