Sun 24th June: Don’t forget the tides

It’s a relief when one of the “desirable” dogs gets adopted because at least then we don’t have to deal with the non-stop calls and emails that flood in for that particular one.  Like the pug baby, everyone wanted Sadie the young boxer and yes, she’s a really sweet girl but there are so many others just as lovely, and also in needs of homes.  Sadly not one of the would-be Sadie adopters would consider any alternatives, but at least she’s off the books after having gone to her new home in the morning.

While Queenie came back to Ap Lei Chau for barking at the husband, two others left, one the most recent schnauzer arrival and also Rex the corgi.

I was, of course, at Whiskers’n'Paws with as many puppies as I could cram into crates and fit onto the sampan.  Even Opal and Griffin were left behind for the first time, but there was no leaving Bea and Sophie who were waiting at the gate as soon as the crates were brought out.  Diamond  joined the crowd too, having been missing for the last couple of weeks, and as the three older ones can walk on leashes  it’s easy enough fitting them on the boat.

There was a huge crowd at Whiskers’n'Paws and the little ones soon disappeared into the arms of the puppy huggers, some potential adopters but others children only there for fun.  It’s a tough one for me, because as much as I want the puppies to get used to being handled and being around children, when they can’t be seen by people who are trying to choose who to take home, the ones who are missing (hidden from view in someone’s arms) lose their chance.  As much as I try to keep all puppies in view and close to the enclosure, it’s a losing battle.  I must get tougher with the rules.

The fence that’s supposed to separate the HKDR end from the rest of the terrace might just as well not be there as far as the bigger pups are concerned, and even the smaller ones can slip between the bars.  For Bea, Sophie and the other doglets, leaping over is not even an inconvenience, it’s fun, just like the water bowls and buckets which are there to provide a drink but are used for splashing and dunking.  Kat Kuok

took more fantastic photos (all on our HKDR Facebook page), especially of ‘Water Baby” Amber, whose dream is to be adopted by someone who lives somewhere where there’s 24-hour access to water.  On Lamma she has to make do with the shallow dog pool, on at Whiskers’n'Paws it’s the water bucket.

By the end of the afternoon two puppies had gone off to their new homes.  Kit, a parvovirus survivor and Trinidad, the one who had a broken leg, so both already have their stories to tell.

I had completely forgotten about the tides, so important when you travel by boat, and was horrified to get back to Lamma to find the sea level was too low to reach the pier.  No amount of pleading could make the sampan driver agree to even try to get close, so instead the crates, trollies and dogs had to be dropped off on a neighbour’s pontoon and carried, one by one, over the rocks and stony beach to my house.  I let all of the older puppies like Aria and Amber out of the crates so they could walk themselves, and the doglets were delighted to be able to have the chance to hit the beach for a play while myself and helper struggled with the rest of the load.  A cold drink at the end of it has never been so welcome.
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