Thurs 18th Aug: HKDR is hiring!

I really never know what to expect when I go to AFCD’s Animal Management Centre in Pokfulam.  I dropped by today to try to find out about tiny peke-cross Bellie, the little dog I took out on Monday who has what looks like a spinal injury, to ask whether the previous owners had taken her to a vet and had any scans or other tests done.  It saves a lot of time and money if we have this information, and while I never have any ex-owner contacts, if the dog has been surrendered, the AFCD staff do.  So while I was there they called the ex-owners and translated my questions; when did the injury occur and did they take the dog to see a vet? I was going to carry on with asking which vet, but since it turned out that they had surrendered Bellie just days after she (presumably) suffered a slipped disc, and have never even atken her to be checked, the conversation ended there.  It was still helpful to know that the injury was fairly new, because that means that simple rest and restricted exercise might be enough to sort the problem out.  If not, she’ll need surgery.

Sweep looks just like a little hairy black dachshund, and is still very much a puppy

Of course I had to see if there were any new dogs, and there was one gorgeous little guy that had been surrendered, a black dachshund cross, just a year old and too cute for words.  Another little dog, an older shih tzu that had been picked up as a stray, was also ready for re-homing, so with these two newcomers (and the information about Bellie) I left for Acorn Vet Hospital.

Nigel waits to have his teeth seen to, and is now in need of a home or a foster

Two other small dogs from AFCD Sheung Shui had been picked earlier in the  morning and were ready to leave, the nine-month poodle girl having been desexed and the ten-year poodle boy having had almost all of his totally rotten teeth extracted.  Because we knew in advance that these dogs would be coming to us, we had already secured a foster home for the older poodle, Harvey, and thanks to the wonders of instant photos and Facebook, by the time I left Acorn I already had a good potential home for Cottie,

Poor poodle Harvey had almost all his teeth taken out (that's what the blood on the floor is)

the poodle puppy.

Seen, photographed, posted and homed, all while waiting at Acorn!

Two of the ex-Lamma doglets that I mentioned in my previous blog (when talking about trying to catch Jill) were there for desexing and would be going back up to Tai Po,  and because I was taking the new little ones back to Lamma I waited at the clinic while Sweep, the dachshund cross, was desexed, and Nigel the shih tzu had ten of his teeth taken out.  Anyone who thinks that desexing is a big deal and cruel is totally wrong, because Sweep was in, neutered, and out in the blink of an eye, and I was able to work from my Blackberry as I sat in the waiting room so no time was wasted.  Unless I have a home for Sweep today he’ll be going to Whiskers’n'Paws on Sunday, along with Cottie the poodle (to meet her new family).

HKDR is once again looking for more (paid) staff, and we have vacancies in the office (admin/accounts) and on-site at Tai Po.  Although the current Site Manager, Heyli, is still with us we always knew her stay would be a shortish one as she will be moving to Canada to join her family within the next few months, so we’re looking for a replacement in good time.   The job is incredibly important, requiring an obvious passion for dogs and HKDR’s work, plus the ability to supervise staff and the site, and to love working (mostly) outdoors.  It takes a special kind of person to do this, but I know there are those people out there somewhere.

The office work is just as important, but whereas the Site Manager’s job is at Tai Po, the accounting and administration is handled at our Ap Lei Chau office, down the road from the Homing Centre.    If you are interested in joining the HKDR team, please email me at sally@hongkongdogrescue.com