Sun 21st Jan: A sunny Sunday despite the forecast

Enzo has amazing hair! 

 The weather was forecast to be cold today, but luckily that wasn't the case and the puppies were able to enjoy a wonderful two hours of playtime on the terrace at Whiskers N Paws.  Laura Nie was the volunteer photographer for the session, and you can see the lovely results here  Puppy Adoption Day 21st Jan 2024.  

It was a happy result for two of the puppies as Flora and Dudley went home together, not quite a matched pair in terms of looks, but puppies don't know about things like that.  As far as they're concerned I'm sure they'll consider themselves to be identical twins. 

Several of the puppies still available are smaller sized in case that's what you're looking for, and you can tell from the short legs that they won't grow into large sized adults.

We also have some more very cute and small-sized puppies coming on Monday, so keep checking in for photos and details. 

At our Kennedy Town Centre, it was Shona's big day, and she'll be taking Pablo home with her on a trial.  They're quite different in terms of personality, but hopefully Shona will give Pablo the extra confidence he needs.  Again you'll need to wait until tomorrow for the photo, sorry. 

Sat 20th Jan: Good news day

 It's always good to be able to share happy news, and the first is that a foster home was found for Maisie, and if all works out then it will almost certainly lead to adoption. 

Tilly going home 

Another dog who found herself suddenly abandoned by her previous family got (very) lucky today, although her assumed brother, Glenn, will have to wait for his own special day.  These two dogs had been left at a boarding facility when the owner "went on holiday" and never came back.  Tilly  is going to have an amazing new life, which is exactly what we wanted for her (and all of the other dogs at our Tai Po Homing Centre). 

Tilly's "brother" Glenn

More happy news is that the cost of Jimmy's patella (knee) surgery has very kindly been covered, so that's one large expense we don't have to worry about.  Now we will need a foster home where Jimmy can recover after the surgery.

The two new dogs we were expecting at our Kennedy Town Centre arrived today, and they are now Snazzy (four years) and Scooby (two years), both small sized as you can see.

There are still plenty of other smaller sized dogs you can meet, including several shibas.  One of these is Kira, who came to us from a breeder with very bad muscle twitching due to puppyhood distemper.  Kira has been having lots of therapy in the form of swimming and exercise, and you can see from this video that she is quite capable of running and enjoying a normal life.  Kira is a very sweet girl, and I hope it won't be long before she can have her own family to love her. 

Santa is another shiba who is also waiting for her forever home, and thanks to volunteer Nocus for this lovely and funny video. 

We have lots of puppies ready to show off their cuteness at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday, 2pm to 4pm, including many of those staying in foster homes: Jasmine and Janet, Flora, Emma and Eccles, Enzo, Dudley and Dimple, and the two Whiskers N Paws residents, Alice and Arlene. 

Remember, for all adoption enquiries please complete the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Fri 19th Jan: More puppies for Whiskers N Paws

Maisie 

 There was an emergency need for a new home for ex-HKDR dog Maisie after a message came letting us know that the wife was extremely ill and the whole family had had to make a sudden exit from Hong Kong.  I want to thank everyone who offered a temporary home for Maisie, who will be brought to us on Saturday,  especially as we had been let down at the very last minute by what would have been an adopter.  We have all been trying to get the situation sorted so that Maisie won't have to spend any time at our Tai Po Homing Centre, at least no more than the drop-off and hopefully immediate pick-up.   It's really heartwarming to know that when there's a dire need for help, the dog lovers come to the rescue.  Maisie is a very sweet dog and we just want the best possible outcome for her. 

The five puppies arrived from AFCD as we had arranged, and two of them went straight to a foster.  You can watch Wendy and Wesley's new (temporary) life on Instagram @southsidefoster, and you'll see they settled down in about three seconds and are already loving being in a home. 

The weekend is here again and it looks like we'll have a full house at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday for the regular Puppy Party, 2pm to 4pm.  If you're planning on coming to meet the hopefuls, please remember to complete the adoption questionnaire in advance at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

We're also expecting two more small adults this weekend, but I'll wait to share the photos until they actually arrive.  Come back tomorrow if you want to know more! 

Thurs 18th Jan: Every little bit helps!

 As I'm sure you already know, HKDR receives very little financial support from the Government, and pretty much all of our funding comes from private donations and income from our events, whether self-organised (like Peak to Fong), or as the beneficiary of outside promotions and fundraisers.  There's also the Life Saver Club sponsorship scheme,  as well as regular donations from Coin Dragon (remember to donate your coins), all of which are extremely important to us to be able to continue our work in rescuing and re-homing, or lifelong care and veterinary treatment for all HKDR dogs.

So it came as a lovely surprise to receive a donation today from the "Oyster Bar" Fan Club of  Ramon Lo, and I hope this very kind gesture will help to grow popularity and the number of fans. 

Mr Ramon Lo, second runner up of “Midlife, Sing & Shine!” (a major singing contest produced by TVB in 2023) and a rising artiste who has participated in a number of philanthropic charity shows in his new career, has extended his concerns and care to our four-legged friends. Mr Ramon Lo and members of his fan club, the “Oyster Bar”, is most pleased to make a charity donation to the Hong Kong Dog Rescue in support of the rescue, caring and re-homing of the loving fur babies. This donation is made possible by the auction bids of the stage props and venue decorations used in the evening of Ramon’s debut concert “Winter Rendezvous with Ramon“ on 23 December 2023 (photos attached). Funds at the amount of $30,761 has been deposited into the account of Hong Kong Dog Rescue in the hopes to help make a difference for these kind loving animals.

Readers of my blog will be aware that we are in need of extra donations right now, with the potential move to a new small dog Homing Centre location, something that's still pending as we wait for confirmation from both the property's landlord and the cost estimates.  I'll certainly let you know when I have any updates on that.

Flora 

We have new puppies coming from AFCD on Friday, with our current puppies at Kennedy Town and in foster homes getting ready for Sunday's fun and games at Whiskers N Paws, from 2pm to 4pm.  It's the perfect opportunity to meet everyone in the same place, and you can preview the foster puppies on their Instagram pages @why_i_foster (Enzo and Bertie), @pawfect_foster_diary (Dimple and Dudley), @furryfostertales (Janet and Jasmine), @foster_pawrent_diary (Emma and Eccles)  and @foster_tails_hk (Flora).   I think I have them all!

Jasmine 

 

Weds 17th Jan: Every day brings new arrivals

The new poodle is now called Skittle 

 Today's newcomer at Kennedy Town is a senior poodle with a bad heart who was surrendered to AFCD. I can understand why this happens, in some cases at least, because there's no denying that vet costs are very high, and treating an old dog for a chronic condition like heart disease is incredibly costly.   Now HKDR will need to take on those expenses, along with all of the other major and minor illnesses and surgeries that are part of our everyday life.

5 year-old ex-breeder King Charles Cavalier

However the excuse of high vet costs doesn't cover the ex-breeder dogs that come to us in very poor condition, even at a relatively young age, such as the poodle and King Charles Cavalier who will be with us next Tuesday.  At only four and five years these dogs are already in dire need of dental work, apart from whatever else will become apparent when they have their health check. 

4 year-old ex-breeder poodle girl 

Nor do high vet costs excuse the abandonment of young adult dogs, presumably taken in as cute and small puppies. We took two such adult mongrels from AFCD today who were sent to our Tai Po Homing Centre, and as much as I know that it's a huge improvement from being at AFCD kennels, I have to just hope that they won't have to spend the rest of their lives waiting for that special moment when they're chosen.  

Sunshine is a year old

I'm reminded every day of the many lovely dogs that we have at our main Homing Centre, but despite the many "likes" and comments for Sunshine, for example, only a year old and such a sweet boy, nobody has actually offered him a home.

Seth is 2 years old 

Seth is another young boy at just two years of age, and he is also waiting for his big chance. 

You can take a look at all of our dogs at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/dogs/, although puppies aren't added to the website until they're a bit older as they change so fast.

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

Tues 16th Jan: A special request for puppy fosters

 I only had a chance to glimpse the two new dogs in their travel crates as they were on their way back from Acorn following their routine health check (all good), before Sugar and her adorable underbite left Kennedy Town to begin her new life.   I don't think Shona will have to wait very long either, as she's the sweetest little girl and also just a youngster. 

Next week we'll be taking in two small ex-breeder dogs from AFCD, a five year-old King Charles Cavalier and a four year-old poodle, both female, so if interested please submit the completed questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.

Nacho and Nancy look alike

We're always in need of foster homes for puppies as there's a waiting list of puppies in need of help, but I have a special request for these three Belgian shepherd babies.  They were moved from Kennedy Town to our Tai Po Homing Centre so they could have a bit more space, but in reality they need to be in a home environment so they can begin their basic training rather than growing up "free range". I would personally love the opportunity to work with such a super-smart breed if I had the time, but I'm going to have to leave that to others.  If you are someone who understands positive training and can get a puppy started on the right track, please complete the form at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/volunteer/fostering/.  Of course you will receive the full support of our own HKDR trainer, Cactus Mok, as and if needed, but hopefully these puppies should be very quick learners. 

Nina is smaller than Nacho and Nancy

Naturally we also hope that suitable adopters will be interested if offering homes to these three, or any other puppy.

We have more puppies coming in from AFCD, as well as those already in foster homes and others still waiting for space. 

Mon 15th Jan: Red Packets, orchids and photo sessions

 There were two new arrivals at Kennedy Town today, both young girls, small-sized and very sweet.  Sugar and Shona are no more than a year old, and if you're interested in adopting one of them, or any of our lovely dogs, please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/.  

Alice, Arlene and Malinois Nacho

We're also expecting five new puppies from AFCD, and to make space for them we had to send the three Malinois (Belgian shepherds) to our Tai Po Homing Centre so they could have a bit more room to play.  If you saw the photos from the Whiskers N Paws Puppy Party  Puppy Adoption Day 14 Jan 2024 (which unfortunately and for some reason uploaded in stages), you'll have seen that the Malinois are already as big as doglets Alice and Arlene who are currently staying full time at the store.   Belgian shepherds are amazing dogs and highly intelligent, but this means that they need experienced adopters who know how to bring the best out of a dog that's eager to learn.   Ironically the easiest house dogs are the ones that aren't too bright, which is why other smart breeds like border collies and poodles often end up becoming bored and frustrated, leading to potential behaviour issues. 

I also want to mention Alice and Arlene, as you will have seen that they aren't young puppies any longer.  They are the last two of their litter, the rest of whom are doing fantastically in their respective homes They're such lovely and loving sisters who play happily with all of the visiting Sunday puppies, and if you're looking for a genuinely kind and sweet dog to join your family, please go to meet them any day at Whiskers N Paws.  If you can adopt both that would be amazing, as they get on so well together.  Now-Willow and Olive are also sisters from this litter who were adopted as a pair, and they bring so much joy to their family.

Willow and Olive were adopted together 

We have a few promotions leading up to Chinese New Year, including the Red Packets that you will have seen posted here on my blog, and on our Facebook and Instagram (@ hkdr_official) pages.

The Red Packets are currently only available online, but will be stocked at our Homing Centres from the 22nd January.  

Each set includes 20 red packets and is priced at $100 only!

Quantities are limited, so act fast! Place your order online now [https://hongkongdogrescue.com/cny2024/]

Upcoming Root x Relish “The Orchid Lab” are organizing a charity initiative for us! They will be selling specially crafted orchid design arrangements exclusively for this event, with the proceeds going towards to help over 600 dogs under our care. After deducting the production costs, all remaining funds will be donated to HKDR.

Join us during this Chinese New Year for a day filled with love, compassion, and the beauty of nature!

The Orchid Lab | Pop-up Store & Art Installation

Date: 15 Jan to 9 Feb

Location: Relish Kitchen by ALOT @ L316 AIRSIDE

Time: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Let’s make this event a blooming success

Every little bit helps and we can’t wait to see you there!

@rootdecoration @relishkitchenhk @hkdr_official

Also supporting our fundraising efforts, Tap Momentale has been capturing stunning photos of our adoptable dogs for the past few years, helping them to find loving homes. Now's your chance to have your own pet’s cuteness captured, while supporting HKDR at the same time! From today until 29th February 2024, Tap Momentale will donate $500 from every photo shoot to HKDR to aid our rescue efforts. Explore @tapmomentale and @oirgallery_hk on Instagram for photography services that will pique your interest!