Mon 23rd Oct: Breed, or no breed

Patrick went home today 

There were no direct adoptions from our Homing Centres today, although cocker spaniel Patrick was taken home for a trial with the resident dog, as was another Tai Po dog whose name I won't share yet.  I'm excited about this particular dog and the hope that he might have found his forever family, but I don't want to jinx anything by giving his name.

German shepherd Xena has been in a foster home for some time, and she has her forever status confirmed today, so that's another dog we can take off the available list. 

 There have been so many applications to adopt the beagle that was surrendered today, so I know she'll be in a new home very soon, if not by Tuesday.  I'm happy, of course, when any of the dogs find a new family, and in most cases much better than the ones that had before because breeders and pet shops don't care who they sell to, they only care that the money is paid.   This particular beagle was imported from Japan, and at great cost no doubt, but breeders there are as terrible as anywhere else, and just as cruel.  Plum, as she is now called, is only young at just a year old, but she's already overweight.  Beagles are walking dustbins, and they will eat anything and everything, and they have a nose that can detect a breadcrumb from five miles away.  Almost all beagles that I know of have swallowed a ball or a toy,  socks or some other non-food item that has had to be cut out of them surgically, and honestly it's not a breed that I would choose personally.  Having said that they're good natured and happy dogs as a rule, and Plum is certainly that.  (Please don't send any more applications for Plum, as there are already many homes offered).

Since it's clear that a lot of people still want purebreeds over mixes, I want to mention two other dogs that we've received surrender requests for and which I would really like to move directly into new homes rather than our Tai Po Homing Centre.  Apart from the fact that we already have hundreds of dogs waiting for homes and no space for any more, it's very stressful and even frightening for dogs that have been family member to suddenly find themselves in a situation where they are surrounded by so many others, and without their familiar home and people.

Molly is 3 years old 

The first dog is a three year-old female German shepherd, whose current owners are divorcing and going their separate ways, without their dog.  The photo is the only one I have unfortunately.

Google is 1 year old 

The second is an Akita, just a year old, whose current owner can no longer keep him, again for personal reasons.

If you're interested in either of these dogs please complete the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.  

I've been told both Molly and Google are friendly and without health or behaviour issues, but obviously I've never met them so I will have to take the word of the current owners as being true. 

So many lovely girls and boys are waiting 

In case I need to remind you, we have so many lovely dogs of all sizes and ages waiting for homes, and even though they may not have breed labels they are still dogs, just the same as any beagle, spaniel, German shepherd or Akita.  What's outside really means nothing, and many mixes are extremely cute, lovely, adorable and all of those good things.  I don't understand the attraction of any labels, I just see a face that makes me smile and a heart that wants to love and be loved. 

Sun 22nd Oct: Two adoptions and Twopresents

Keeping it equal and fair 

 It's pretty difficult to be able to tell one puppy from another in these lovely shots by Benjamin Po, the volunteer photographer at Whiskers N Paws today Puppy Adoption Day 22nd Oct 2023, and that's because they're all from the same litter.  If you want to meet any of them face to face it's very easy, as two are staying full time at Whiskers N Paws, with another pair out in Sai Kung with foster-of-many Lyndsay (Instagram @why_i_foster).  In fact until today there were four of these happy youngsters staying with Lyndsay, but one of them left today with his new family, and another will be going soon.   I'm sure the fun and games will continue with the remaining pair.

Bruno is now Vinni 

There was also a lovely Twopresents donation "paid" with a Giant Cheque at Whiskers N Paws, and thank you to  Tom for sharing his special day with HKDR and the puppies. 

"Too many birthday presents? Less is more! Invite your guests to contribute gift money online into your child's gift/charity fund. Save for one meaningful present your child will actually play with and donate the rest of the money to a charity of your choice. Teach your kids to give back to the community, cut down on gift/packaging waste and simplify gifting for your guests! It's easy and impactful! Visit twopresents.com to learn more."

 

Jonty has his own home now

Poodle Jonty was adopted at Kennedy Town, and he is one of the poodles who came to us with leg problems due to previous poor surgery.  The kind adopter didn't mind, and promised to take care of Jonty and future treatment. 

I really appreciate adopters taking the time to update us on their chosen puppies or dogs, even if it's not always possible to share each and every one.  However since today's post is mostly about Whiskers N Paws and the Puppy Parties that have taken place over so many years, I thought it appropriate that I should include this particular story, just received. 

"Dear Sally, 

I recently returned to reading your blogs and thought that I should update you on the dog I adopted from HKDR in 2015. 

I brought home a sickly puppy from HKDR 28th June, 2015. It was his debut at Puppy Adoption Day. I remember you telling me that it was his first time at the event and you were surprised that I picked him since he seemed withdrawn and didn’t want to socialise. It was supposed to be a trial week but I saw the bond he had forged with my other dog and how attached he became to me that first week that I knew he belonged with me. I did everything in my power to nurse him back to health and I am happy to let you know that he is a model of healthy. I even say he is made of iron. Enzo has grown to be the light of my life. He is the sweetest dog anyone could ever ask for and generally very well-behaved. At 8 years old, he still resembles the puppy he was the first day I saw him. Attached are his before and most recent photos.

I cannot imagine what you and everyone else who run an animal shelter go through on a daily basis caring for the dogs but I can understand that it is absolutely not an easy thing to do. I sincerely appreciate everything that you all do for the dogs. Thank you for allowing me to have Enzo in my life."

Finally we were asked to accept a one year-old beagle girl, and assuming the current owner doesn't change his mind the beagle will be brought to us on Monday.  

The beagle girl is quite a small size at ten kilos in weight, and I would also like to mention the mini bulldog who will be arriving this week from AFCD, as she is also only ten kilos, making her a small dog even if she looks larger in the photo. 

Mini bulldog 

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

Sat 21st Oct: Happy Saturday

Frappe and her new family 

One of the adoptions that we were expecting to take place at our Tai Po Homing Centre was that of Frappe, and I'm delighted to say she's now with her new family.   She's such a sweet girl and it's truly wonderful to see the adult mixed breeds getting the home they deserve. 

Dido was a Foster Fail from Kennedy Town, and that means that she's staying with her foster family as a full family member. 

Puzzle 

Recent arrival Puzzle, a King Charles Cavalier, will also be moving to her new forever home in a couple of days after her successful interview that took place in her foster home today. 

Bijou 

One potential adoption that we were really hoping would be confirmed today fell through due to the fact that the family plan to move back to the USA, and having checked on the possibility of getting a French bulldog on a flight realised that it would be too challenging.   That means Bijou is still available for adoption if you're interested in a very sweet 3 year-old girl (with one eye).  She's currently in a lovely foster home so a meeting will be arranged at a mutually convenient time.

Sweet Hetty

There's one other dog that I want to mention, because she's the sweetest young dog who should really be in a home.  Hetty came to us when we were still using our Elgin Street location to keep the new smaller dogs, until we moved them all from Soho to Kennedy Town.  However, even though Hetty had changed from a very timid dog to a sweet and friendly girl, she didn't enjoy walking on the busy streets around Kennedy Town, and the Centre is too small for a playful dog who can't get out to run around.  In the end we moved her to Lamma so she could have a big space to run around in without having to negotiate roads to get there.  Now Hetty is very happy, but she really craves the attention from people that she doesn't get on Lamma.  She would love to have a family home in a quiet area and with a garden or terrace if possible, but I think she would be totally fine with going for walks in areas that had no cars or traffic.  If you could offer Hetty this kind of home it would be wonderful.  Take a look at the video to see Hetty's happy dance when she greeted me today....

Fri 20th Oct: Handling emergencies

 Sometimes things become challenging when you live on an island with no ferry service and one of the dogs urgently needs to see a vet.  Add that to even trying to get an emergency appointment and waiting for the phone to let you know yes or no, and that was how I spent my morning.  At least being a Friday our HKDR van and driver was available when I finally heard that Concordia could see my dog Grey, and I could get him into a crate and onto a sampan, so he's now in hospital and hopefully responding to treatment. 

Grainger 

As it happened, little Grace at Kennedy Town also needed to see a vet quite urgently and joined Grey at Concordia, although in her case it seemed that she'd just been eating too much, something that you need to be careful about when tummies are so small.  Anyway, Grace is now back with her "husband" Glenn, which is a relief as the pair are inseparable.   We're still hoping that someone will be kind enough to offer a foster home for these two seniors, although it's difficult when dogs reach a certain age and aren't in the best of health.  However we do still have Grainger from the same family of ten who we took in some time ago, and he's a great little dog, full of life and energy and super- sweet.  Sadly Grainger has had a few failed adoptions, not because of anything bad he's done, but either because the resident dog didn't like having an intruder in the home, or because Grainger's enthusiasm was too much to handle.  His early life with his family group had no structure or training, so he doesn't know that jumping on furniture isn't always a good thing, but he's a total sweetheart who deserves a loving home.

As I mentioned yesterday we have quite a few adoption interviews coming up for the weekend, and I always look forward to Saturdays and Sundays for this reason. Even though we're open every single day of the year, it's usually more convenient for potential adopters to meet dogs over the weekend. 

If you follow the Instagram page @why_i_foster, you will know that two more puppies, Andy and Alice from the same litter as Bruno and Sandro have moved in, and the games have been non-stop.  There's nothing quite as joyful as watching puppies playing, even if the foursomes will be short-lived as lucky Bruno and Sandro have homes to go to.   This is the reason why we always ask that puppies are fostered in pairs, because play is a vital part of any baby animal's development.  

Toffee 

Horlick

You might also like to see our most recent puppy intake, the pair known as the Warehouse Babies or Rain Babies, whichever you like to call them.  Look at how they've already changed so much, and they now have names given by their foster family, Toffee (black nose) and Horlick (pink nose).  If you like the idea of adopting very young puppies, these two are available, but only as a pair at the moment.

For all adoption enquiries please complete the questionnaire as a first step: www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Thurs 19th Oct: Waiting for the weekend

 I'm hoping to be able to share happy adoption news from Tai Po over the weekend as we have some meetings arranged, but I won't mention names just yet.  Instead I'll introduce the new arrivals from AFCD, two puppy girls and a husky boy.  Elfie has a potential home to go to, but he's still quite scared at the moment so we need to give him time to settle.  

Penny

The second group from latest intake at Kennedy Town went for their health check at Acorn today, so now everyone is ready for adoption.  These smaller dogs are mixes of sorts, and really impossible to determine of what, not that it matters. 

Pablo

Of course there are many other small and medium-sized dogs waiting to meet their potential families, so please start the adoption process by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Preston

If you can't commit to a forever home but would still like to help by fostering a dog, please go to www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.  Usually we ask for a reasonable length of time for foster dogs, ideally until they're adopted, and that could a few days to a few months.  The situation varies depending on the dog and why we want to send it to a foster home, bearing in mind that the very easy-to-home dogs don't need a temporary home.  

Weds 18th Oct: A peak behind the scenes

 My work, and also the work of the office team plus Yannie, who wears several hats, involves the behind-the-scenes activities which are a necessary part of running HKDR.  Of course we need to keep proper accounts for auditing, and there are events coming up that we're either organising ourselves (like Peak to Fong), or others that we're collaborating with, one of which is a fun dating event for singles and their dogs.  Watch out for details of that if it sounds like something you'd like to take part in, but the date is Saturday 11th November and you can go to https://events.heydouble.com/ for information.

We're also busy producing new HKDR-brand merchandise like our previous sell-out windbreaker, this new version being waterproof too, perfect for dog walking and volunteering.   You'll be able to check the new clothing, HKDR dog beds, and lots of other great stuff at Peak to Fong on Sunday 26th November, remembering too that you'll be wearing the event T-shirt as your ticket. 

𝗧-𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁/𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲 [門票預售]

https://hongkongdogrescue.com/ticket_information-p2f2023/

HKDR Peak to Fong 2023 - Sponsored by Whiskers N Paws

Puts the FUN in fundraising for a great cause!

救狗之家 X Whiskers N Paws Peak to Fong 狗狗同樂籌款日2023

與狗同樂，共襄善舉！

Mark this date!

26th November 2023 (SUNDAY), 11am to 4pm

2023年11月26日（星期日） 上午11時至下午4時

Our retail centre at G/F 22 Elgin Street, Soho, also sells everything your dog could possibly need, including collars, leashes, harnesses, bowls, travel crates, toys, and Stella and Chewy food (all dogs love this!), so you don't have to wait to browse the huge selection of stock.  We're open every weekday and weekends by arrangement, since the sole staff member on duty could be out walking the dogs.  Remember that buying from our store means that you're supporting HKDR and our work, so please come by and take a look if you need anything at all. 

Of course everything we do is for and because of the dogs, and they are our priority at all times.  We have literally hundreds of dogs-in-waiting, all sizes and aged from young to senior.  You can visit any day of the week but please make sure that you have completed the adoption questionnaire beforehand, and have received a reply.   We can recommend the dogs that will best suit your home and situation, and let you know which Homing Centre to go to. The questionnaire is at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Hong Kong Dog Rescue www.hongkongdogrescue.com

Homing Centres, open every single day of the year from 10am to 5pm at:

6 Shek Lin Road, Tai Po, New Territories

Shop 4. G/F 4 Brilliant Court, Sai Hong Lane, 28 Praya Kennedy Town, HK

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

Tues 17th Oct: A busy day at Acorn

 It was another days of pick-ups from AFCD and trips to the vet, with the three new arrivals being the husky and two (slightly older puppies).  The mini bulldog and another two slightly older puppies are due to come this week as well, so it's really a never-ending cycle of dogs in and (hopefully) dogs out.

The Z poodles

Two poodles also went for a consultation with Dr Tony, Zara and Zelda, and both of these girls had had previous failed surgery on their legs and knees.  I can't stress enough that such surgeries, and especially on small dogs where the bones and joints are tiny, should only be carried out by experienced and qualified vet surgeons, because we have seen the results of so many botched operations.  If lucky, the damage can be repaired, but often amputation is the only option. 

Jonty is young at only 3 years

Jonty is another young poodle boy who came to us with a previously-broken and badly repaired leg, and we need a home for him or at least a foster so he can have the leg assessed for possible surgery. 

Patrick

Five of the latest intake of dogs to Kennedy Town were seen at Acorn today, and although basically healthy they all showed signs of poor previous care, meaning bad skin and dirty ears, thankfully all easy to treat.  Sadly, and as expected, the cocker spaniel (now Patrick) is blind, but we hope this won't be a barrier to him finding a home as he's a very sweet boy.

Porter

Porter the Border Collie has similar bad skin which is why he'd been shaved, but again it's superficial and just a result of poor environment in wherever it was that he came from. 

Of course there are many more dogs than only the above waiting for homes, and if you're interested in adoption please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.