Rescuing and rehoming abandoned dogs in Hong Kong

The days just fly by, and now it's the weekend again and time for some adoptions I hope.  I didn't get my usual Saturday at home today as I was out in the New Territories, but regular Lamma volunteers Vivian and Justine came over to entertain the troops in my absence.  It was the perfect day for beach and swimming adventures, something the dogs really love.

I saw on someone else's Facebook page that there had been a post on a Chinese Group page inviting comments and opinions on the various Animal Rescue groups, and of course HKDR got the usual critcism along with everyone else.  One of the most common remarks I hear is that HKDR is a rich organisation which doesn't need donations, but of course that's just not true.  Much of our time and effort is spent in fundraising for the simple reason that it costs a huge amount of money to take care of the hundreds of dogs we have taken in and have promised a home for life.  It's not enough to provide the most basic of accommodation and the cheapest of food if you are running a rescue organisation, especially when many dogs spend years, if not their whole lives, with us.  We're not one of those terrible hidden-away shelters where the animals are kept in cages and rarely, if ever, given the opportunity to get out, never see a vet or are properly liensed.  We want more than that for our dogs, and most of all a home at the end of the day.

Becoming a successful animal rescue organisation doesn't happen by chance or luck, it requires hard work, dedication and determination.  It can never be a part-time job or something that you do for just a while if you are going to be able to survive.  You have to accept that your social life is over and holidays a thing of the past, and that there are seven working days in every week.   There are so many animal groups after the same thing whether it's adopters or sponsors and donors, and as the old saying goes, if you snooze you lose.  So when you see a successful organisation that seems to be so "lucky" and gets all the breaks, believe me there is nothing that is free in life or anything that just drops in your lap without a lot of blood, sweat and tears behind the scenes.

(From Sally's HKDR Daily Life)

"Big" is a Chung Hom Kok Collie, a "breed" invented by HKDR to identify a particular family of dogs that came from the same area. They are very easy to recognise by their beautiful looks and lovely natures, and although some are quite large, Big is actually not too big.

At 3 years old Big is in his prime, and he is the nicest and friendliest dog you can imagine. He loves all people and other dogs, even small ones, so we are sure he would be fine with cats too.

His previous owners, who adopted him as a puppy from HKDR, inexplicably gave him away to a completely unsuitable person, and he was subsequently picked up as a stray and sent to AFCD where we found him.

When Big arrived at HKDR Tai Po Homing Centre, he was feeling lost and insecure. He would cry when he saw people around, begging for our attention. It was heart-breaking how such a sweet, lovely and unbelivably affectionate dog would end up being abandoned (or should we say, re-abandoned as he was adopted as a homeless puppy to start with).

Luckily, it didn't take long for Big to find a great home, where he has settled right in and is very much loved. 

Imagine just how a lovely dog like Big could have been killed - twice - if no one ever rescued him from the death rows at AFCD. And to save lives like Big's is the sole purpose why HKDR is here. Thank you very much for your generous support, all you life-savers.