Sun 8th April: Lots of nice surprises

Ketchup has gone to a lovely home

I really wasn’t expecting to home any puppies at Whiskers’n'Paws today (it being Easter Sunday) but I was happily wrong.  I only had two youngsters with me having decided against taking the young babies (next week maybe), and both Ketchup and Sticky found homes.

I'm so happy that Sticky found a nice home

Willum, the lovely golden retriever cross that had been rescued from a horrible situation (living in a warehouse and being mistreated) was sent over from Tai Po to Horizon Plaza to meet some potential adopters, and the decision was quite an easy one.  He’s such a sweet doglet, and so easygoing despite his horrible start in life.  Now he has a lovely family, and a dog brother to play with in the garden.  Happy, lucky boy.

Willum's life has changed beyond his wildest dreams

I was already packing up to head back to Lamma when the couple who have been thinking about Custer for quite a long time finally gave in and adopted him.  He is one of the sweetest puppies I can remember, and there is already a comment posted on the HKDR Facebook page saying that is is doing well and is very happy with his new sister.  I’m often asked if I’m sad to see puppies leaving and I always say no, finding them homes is what it’s all about, but when I saw Custer’s face drop as I left Whiskers’n'Paws without him I have to say it was quite hard.  Not that I was having any second thoughts because I knew he was going to a lovely home, but for him I was all he’d known and now I was deserting him.  So to read that he and his sister, Bella, were getting on well and that he was enjoying his walks meant a lot to me.

At Last my lovely boy Custer is adopted! That's one less dog on my bed at night ......

I know it wasn’t the reason why Custer was adopted, but I did offer to seal the deal with a gift of a couple of cow hooves from the boxful that I had myself just been given by the lovely staff at Whiskers’n'Paws as part of a birthday present.  When they had all appeared singing Happy Birthday and carrying gift-wrapped boxes I wondered whose birthday it was, and was completely taken by surprise to find it was me! (actually my birthday is next week, not today, but better early than late).  So I now have a lot of happy (and quiet) dogs at home busy munching on their treats.  And Custer also has his, of course.

The situation at the breeders that I mentioned yesterday seems to be even worse than expected, with the owner having decamped to China to continue his vile trade over there but still not wanting to let all of the dogs go in case he wants to breed them again.  We will save what we can, but we need foster homes (or adopters) for them as taking in a group of dogs at one time is going to be a stretch.  Once they are safely with us I’ll call in the authorities in the hope that something can be done for the dogs that will be staying behind in apparently terrible conditions.  Once again I have to say that anyone buying a dog from a breeder, pet shop, via the internet or from a home breeder is supporting a really cruel trade in life, and one that is totally unnecessary.

Thanks to Michelle, the other co-Founder of HKACW, for this lovely photo of Marian and one of her favourite dogs

I received some very sad news during the afternoon when I heard that Marian Banaghan, co-Founder of Hong Kong Alleycat Watch, had passed away in Sydney, Australia.  During the time that I knew Marian and her work with the street cats, she always made me laugh with her cheerful smile and happy attitude, and even though she had left Hong Kong she was still constantly in touch and working to help the cats.  Although she had been ill for a while her death came suddenly, so it was a real shock to all of her friends.  Although Marian has gone her work continues, and anyone wishing to make a donation in memory of her big heart and hard work can contact Kirsten at kirstszoo@hotmail.com.  Kirsten, a close friend of Marian’s, has set up a fund to ensure that the cats can continue to be fed and cared for, something she promised Marian she would do to help ease her mind when she was worrying about what would happen when she was gone.  You will be greatly missed Marian, but rest peacefully knowing your cats are safe.

.