The following adoption criteria may help you decide whether you are able to adopt a dog and the type of dog you should choose.

ADOPTING A DOG: THE REALITY
Dogs are intelligent animals that have feelings and emotions as well as the obvious basic needs. Before adopting a dog or puppy please be sure that you have carefully thought through everything, and that you fully understand the time and commitment required. Read through the following to help you assess whether or not you are ready:

Do you have enough space?
Do not get a large or active dog if you live in a small apartment.

How much exercise can you give a dog?
Do not get an active dog if you cannot give it enough exercise. Even some small breeds are energetic and require space to run and play. Be realistic about the time and facilities for exercise that you have. All dogs need AT LEAST one good walk every day. If you don't have the time to take a dog out daily, you don't have time for a dog.

How much time do you spend away from home?
If you are out at work all day and there is nobody at home, DO NOT GET A DOG unless you have more than one and they have access to toilet facilities and room to play together. Even if you have a garden, be aware that many dogs bark when left on their own and your neighbours will hear even if you can't. Dogs are by nature pack animals that need companionship as much as food, water and shelter. Many dogs are abandoned because of behaviour problems such as barking and being destructive, both of which are signs of boredom and loneliness.

Do you have the time and patience to train a dog?
All dogs love attention. Dogs that are ignored and left to their own devices (such as being shut away in a room on their own) will become bored, depressed, and suffer mental (and also often physical) problems. Unless you want your dog to be part of your life and your family, do not have one.

Are you prepared for the mess?
Dogs are dogs, that is, they have usually have fur which sheds every year, they may pick up fleas and ticks, they go to the toilet, get bad breath, wind, and all the other things that might be socially unacceptable in human company! They have no inhibitions, so if this will offend you, don't get a dog.

If, after reading this you still want to help save a dog's life and give it another chance, please contact:

Sally Andersen, Tel: 9448 1128, Email: hongkongdogrescue@yahoo.com

Chinese speakers email: hkdr_chinese@yahoo.com (Angela)

If you wish, you may download our Adoption Questionnaire (Microsot Word document) and return it as an attachment to your email. (You can save it first to your hard drive, and then attach to your email).

Adoption Questionnaire in English (Return to hongkongdogrescue@yahoo.com)

Adoption Questionnaire in Chinese (Return to hkdr_chinese@yahoo.com )

How do I adopt a dog through HKDR?
First of all we will ask you to complete a questionnaire which will allow us to assess which type of dog would be most suitable for you and your home and/or family. You may already have seen a dog on our website which you are interested in, or you may be just looking for advice and suggestions. We try our best to match the dog with the right home so that both sides are happy.

Apart from the size of the home and the area (city or country), there are other things that need to be taken into consideration, such as whether there are children in the house, or other animals. Some older dogs would be unsuitable for homing with cats, for example. Some dogs enjoy having other dog friends, while some like being the only one.
Once we have established what sort of dog would be suitable, we can send details of those we already know of, or we will check with kennels and other rescue organisations. Invariably, there are always more dogs than homes so we can be pretty sure of finding a good match.

Once we are satisfied that the home is suitable for a dog, we will arrange a meeting, usually at the Pokfulam kennels. It's important that you meet and spend some time with a dog or puppy before taking it home.

Puppy or adult?
If you have young children, it is usually advisable to adopt a puppy (up to a year old). However, you must be prepared for normal puppy behaviour and to have the time and patience for training. Do not expect a puppy to come ready trained, any more than you would expect a baby to be. They need to be taught how to behave. Remember that the puppy stage can last for up to a year, although basic things like toilet training can be achieved very quickly. You must expect that your puppy will chew, and do all the "naughty" things that puppies do. If you do not want to have to live through this stage, then adopting an older puppy adult dog would be a better option.

Although it is very common for dogs that have been abandoned to have some initial anxiety problems, we have found that these soon pass once the dog has established itself in its new home and feels confident that it won't be abandoned again. There is almost no problem that can't be overcome with love and patience. Anyone adopting a dog from HKDR can be assured that any follow-up help or advice is available if needed.

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