Thurs 20th Oct: The Gift of Charity

My visits to Tai Po seem to be less and less frequent as I try to fit in the time required.  Today, however, I had to be in the area to have a look at yet another potential site, this time not a full-on Kennel/Homing Centre but certainly a useful addition.  As always, the initial site visit means nothing more than just that, so no details at this point.

Can you look after Mathilda, even temporarily?

In the morning, Kathy had gone to the Sheung Shui  and Kowloon AFCD Centres to take out a few dogs: two golden retrievers, a springer spaniel with her own puppy, plus a couple of spares (puppies).  The golden retrievers had been surrendered from the same home, but while the male (Bosco) was heartworm-free, the small-sized female (Mathilda) tested positive.  Heartworm is so common in the New Territories but many (if not most) dog owners have either never heard of it or just don’t care.  Now Mathilda has to have the treatment (two injections in the back), followed by a month’s rest.  As the dead worms in the heart break down it’s essential that the heart rate isn’t elevated as it could pump the worm fragments round the body causing blockage in vital organs and ultimate death.  Some dogs also have an adverse reaction to the arsenic-like drug itself, so either way prevention is always better than cure.  Luckily Mathilda’s infection seems to be fairly light (meaning not too many adult worms in the heart), so there will be no long-term effects after the month is over.  Now we need a home, or even just a foster, for a month.  Mathilda is a gorgeous dog, small sized for her breed and very sweet, so please help her if you can.

While I was at Tai Po, another one of the dogs from AFCD that arrived with heartworm and was successfully treated found his forever home.  Roxer is such a sweet boy, and what was especially touching was that he wouldn’t leave the Homing Centre without his toy, one that he had been gently nursing while his adopters were going through the paperwork formalities.  Although they had promised they would buy him lots of new toys to play with, in the end May had to run back to fetch “the one” so Roxer would agree to move.  Now it must be the turn of Gail, another super-sweet boxer (girl).

Hooray for Roxer the boxer!

I called the springer spaniel Dot, because the first thing I noticed when I looked in her crate after she had been desexed was the dot of brown on the top of her white head.  This poor girl is eleven years old, not too old in general terms but certainly too old to be having babies.  She was surrendered to AFCD because she had obviously had a fling with a local dog and the result was at least one unwanted puppy.  There could have been more, I don’t know, but she only came with one black girl.  The puppy was a newborn when the mother and daughter arrived at AFCD, but now they can be separated.  Dot is a very lovely dog, easy and I’m sure toilet trained as she refused to get on the sampan until I’d walked her round long enough so she could relieve herself.  After that she willingly embarked (but still threw up on the trip over to Lamma!)

Baby Maggie looks bigger than she really is because she's in front of Dot

My dilemma was, as always, where to put the puppy (now called Maggie).  She is too young to mix with the others, and anyway she would be certain to get kennel cough, and I didn’t know how the other small dogs would take to having a baby around if I put her (with Dot) in the Home for Small Delinquents.  In the end I added her to the three baby pups (including Strawberry), and got straight down to contacting would-be puppy adopters in the the hope that I could get her out by the next day.  Happily she has an interview (on Friday), so I hope her overnight stay with the youngsters will be no more than that.  (At the moment she’s wailing plaintively for her mother).

I have seen (scarily) the first signs of Christmas looming, so it was appropriate that I received this Press Release about a new Charity Gift Card scheme, a wonderful idea for any time of the year.  So much money is wasted on unwanted gifts (and there are statistics which show the frightening amount) so rather than give something that will be wasted or thrown away, why not buy the gift of charity?

CHARITABLE CHOICE LAUNCHES HONG KONG’S FIRST CHARITY GIFT CARD

HONG KONG, 17 October 2011 – Charitable Choice announces today the official launch of www.charitablechoice.org.hk, Hong Kong’s first non-profit making charity Gift Card platform.

“ Charitable Choice Gift Cards help raise money for local charities in an original and meaningful way. The giver pays for and designates a donation value then the recipient chooses a charity to donate the funds to, making the gift a truly personal one. Personalized Gift Cards can be sent via email as an e-card or by post via a greeting card produced from 100% FSC recycled paper.

Moved by the generosity of Hong Kong people yet alarmed at the income disparity that exists in this city, Cheryl Wilson founded Charitable Choice to provide an alternative to traditional gift giving and to help those less fortunate in our community.

Ms Wilson shared her vision on introducing this new service to Hong Kong.  She said, “The people of Hong Kong have always been very generous in giving to charities yet close to 18% of the local population lives in poverty.  Charitable Choice provides a simple but creative avenue where people can send gifts to others and at the same time influence others to support meaningful causes.  We hope to create a culture for giving donations in lieu of traditional gifts.”

Charitable Choice currently features over twenty Hong Kong registered charities.  These charity partners are all engaged in providing valuable services for the Hong Kong community and are involved in a variety of causes, from alleviation of poverty, and animal welfare to environmentalconservation.

Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children (“HKSPC”) is one such beneficiary featured on the Charitable Choice website. “HKSPC strives to help underprivileged children and families in Hong Kong and we are thrilled to be one of the beneficiaries of Charitable Choice Gift Cards. This new concept has made gift-giving truly meaningful, at the same time making donation an enjoyable experience.” said Ms Susan So, Director.

Since its pilot launch earlier this year, Charitable Choice has already received very encouraging responses from both individual and corporate donors.  “We are in discussions with several companies to distribute Charitable Choice Gift Cards instead of conventional corporate gifts to customers. The Gift Cards would allow customers to donate the Gift Card value to one or more of the beneficiaries featured on our website.  We are also working with a few parents to create a personalised online gift registry for their children’s birthday celebrations; so the children will learn about the importance of sharing some of their good fortune with those in need,” Ms Wilson added.

All partners of Charitable Choice are registered non-profit making charitable organizations in Hong Kong.  Gift Cards purchased through Charitable Choice are tax deductible for the purchaser.”

And yes, Hong Kong Dog Rescue is one of the named charities!