Fri 15th June: What a difference 25 years makes

Two more young shih tzus needing a new home

Continuing with yesterday’s theme, it’s obviously officially summer judging by the number of dogs that are being off-loaded at the moment.  Holidays, redundancies and the end of expat contracts, whatever, I can’t believe the numbers of little ones that we’re being asked to take: shih tzus, a mini pin, a beagle puppy, poodles, the list goes on.  Yet I’m willing to bet the pet shops are still selling – in fact I know they are – because some of the dogs that end up with us have only recently been bought.  Apart from the pug baby, today’s ex-pet shop victim was a black labrador puppy and luckily for him he went straight from Acorn (where he was desexed) to his new home.  On Sunday a ten-month beagle puppy will be arriving, a victim of a broken relationship with neither side being able to keep him.  One of the poodles that came to us from AFCD on Thursday is also still a puppy.  What kind of madness makes people buy a live animal that they have no intention of keeping for longer than a few weeks or months, even days?

Aria is 5 months old now

At least all of the small dogs have a very good chance of finding homes fairly easily, although right now it make take a bit longer than usual.  It’s the mixed breeds – mongrels – that I worry about.  Beautiful Aria, adopted as a baby and subsequently returned – is five months old now.  She’s so pretty, affectionate, super-smart and easy to train, but she’s not a baby any more.  Three (mongrel) puppies that I got from AFCD had been surrendered by their previous family so they’re completely used to being in a home and are just adorable, very sweet natured and loving, but do they even have a chance?  I hate summers for this reason, not for the weather (I’d much rather be too hot than cold) but because adoptions drop dramatically.  Sundays are extra stressful at times like these, when I’m packing the crates with puppy hopefuls and wondering if any of them will be chosen.  It wasn’t too long ago that I was homing just about every baby puppy I got, so lucky for those who were born at the right time of the year.

And I still have those three rabbits to find homes for, and the baby is growing too.

I had a kind of day off today if you count a long-overdue visit to the dentist as relaxing.  I knew I should have gone sooner, but with one thing and another I just kept putting if off for another week and before I knew it a year had passed and now it’s not going to be just one appointment that’s needed.  It was something of a shock to be reminded (by the dentist) that I’d been his patient for twenty five years, and how my life has changed during that time.  I probably didn’t even have a dog when I first starting going to him, let alone the hundreds that are now officially mine according to their licenses. How did it all go so wrong?

Nala was fostered as a newborn with with mother so she is very used to living in a family home environment

The foster puppy (Nala) who was missed in in Thursday’s mayhem was picked up today, and I had told Kathy (standing in for Iris) that she should be dropped off at the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre so I could pick her up on my way back from the dentist.  Living on an island, and in a place where the nearest shop is a hour’s walk away, whenever I’m over on Hong Kong side I try to make sure I pick up at least a few groceries to take home.  You know how it is – I wandered into Park’n'Shop for a couple of items and left with a full and very heavy bag, only to realise that my plan to hop on the small ferry that runs between Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau was now impossible because of the load I was carrying. So when Kathy sent me a message asking when was I going to pick the puppy up, I had to ask her to put Nala on a sampan by herself (as unaccompanied baggage) so she could be collected at the other end.  Now Nala has been reunited with her brother Rambo, two hopefuls for Sunday’s trip back to Ap Lei Chau and the puppy adoption afternoon at Whiskers’n'Paws.  Will it be her lucky day?