Sat 25th Feb: Memories

The slightly larger pups in this group just scraped through on the age limit, the smaller ones still needing to go in pairs

If I’m honest I think I must have been mad to give up my Saturdays to go to Stanley.  Although it’s only three hours in the afternoon, add in the travel time – an hour each end – and the preparation, and that’s really a whole day taken up.  I still have all my regular chores to do, both “office” work and taking care of the dogs and puppies, but the lure of having a chance to get more puppies adopted was too powerful to resist.  Puppies grow so quickly and already the Whippeties, who have been my regular Stanley group, are too old because they can easily climb out of the pen.  So it’s really baby pups only and the three I took today are really borderline in terms of an acceptable age to be separated from the others.  The six I took from AFCD on Thursday can go in pairs, but anything under two months is too young unless there’s already another dog in the home.  I also took Diamond, and while she is four months old now she is also the easiest and sweetest of puppies, so she was on a harness and leash and was very happy to sit a chew on her rawhides for a few hours.  Ex-HKDR puppy Collette, now Ellie, dropped by to do some shopping and the two girls got stuck into some serious wrestling, having recognised each other from the days when Collette was on Lamma.  Diamond is my current star puppy, and being very fluffy she also makes a great body warmer for the cold sampan trips – my excuse for having her on my lap and cuddling her tight.

I absolutely love this puppy! Her name is Diamond and if you're looking for a great family dog and don't adopt her, you're mad!

Anyway, there were no adoptions today but I can tell the word is getting out as there are a lot of visitors now, so I will be patient and give it time.  At least I can still reply to emails and adoption enquiries on my Blackberry so I can still keep busy.  And if you need reminding I’m at Pacific Pets in Stanley (it’s on the main road just past the Post Office) every Saturday from 2pm to 5pm (and at Whiskers’n'Paws in Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau, every Sunday, also from 2pm to 5pm).  So to everyone who starts their Monday emails asking if I enjoyed my weekend off………..

News of a schnauzer adoption is always a happy event, and I’m looking forward to our Ap Lei Chau Centre looking less like a home for wayward schnauzers and more like a regular temporary home for dogs of all kinds.  It was Magnet’s turn today, and we all wish him the best.

Magnet's adoption reduces our schnauzer collection by one

Wheatie's adoption means I can finally close that particular file

Wheatie was the lucky dog at Tai Po, and as an ex-Lamma puppy of course I was pleased to see him chosen.  His siblings went a long time ago, when they were still very young, and as I mentioned before there always seems to be one left over in every litter.  Now I can close that particular file and hope I never have to refer to it again.  We do keep records of all of our dogs and puppies, not just because we have to send in regular reports to AFCD about all of those taken from their Centres, but because unfortunately there are times when we have check back.  We also keep details of all adopters and all enquiries, and I have a very good memory when it comes to these things.  I even impressed myself when a recent adoption enquiry came in and the name rang a bell.  On checking old emails it was because the same person had asked about adopting back in 2006, and there was a good reason why it hadn’t progressed any further.  If I need help I ask Kathy, as she has been with HKDR for a very long time and like me she remembers (as well as keeping the database updated).  I also have photos of virtually every dog going back many years, and I can (and do) get lost in memories if I start going through them.

This was how I found Sandy. She came in (to AFCD) with a large group of a family I called the Wanchai Terriers. She was the grandmother then, and I guessed around 5 years old.