Give a Dog a Home: A Dog Is for Life, Not Just For Christmas

The Beijingers | Dec 24, 2012 2:00 pm | Add a comment | 3334 reads

“D’yer like dogs?” they asked in Snatch. That’s what we want to know. While caravan sites are no place to find a dog in Beijing, there are many alternatives if you’re looking to settle here and want some company for the ride. While pet shops seem an obvious choice, especially if you want a thoroughbred, there are lots of dogs that need a new home after some tough breaks. If you’re considering adopting a dog, take a look at these checklists.

Are you ready to look after a dog?
To answer that question, you need to ask yourself:

  • Are you home for at least nine hours a day?
  • Can you afford the financial costs, such as registration, inoculations, food and other expenses?
  • Are you going to be able to train that dog from day one?
  • Can you provide it with the structured love and discipline that it needs to thrive?
  • Can you communicate these things to the dog?
  • Are your Chinese-language skills (or a friend’s) up to the task of filling out forms?
  • Have you seriously thought about whether you’re ready to handle the responsibility and change to your lifestyle that pet ownership entails?

Before you bring your new dog home

  • Create a quarantine space from other pets in the house. Do not let pets share the same feeding or water bowls, toys or sleeping quarters.

When you get your new dog home

  • Clean the dog thoroughly using disinfectant shampoo. Continue to do this yourself until vaccinations take effect, at which point it will be safe to bring the dog to the pet groomers.
  • Keep the dog away from your good furniture and carpets, as it is unlikely to already be house-trained.
  • Start training your dog right away.

As soon as you can

  • Take the dog to your vet for a general check-up, overdue vaccinations, deworming and flea drops.
  • Ask the vet to scan the dog to see if it was microchipped by its previous owners. (If so, you know what to do.) If the dog doesn’t already have a microchip, have the vet implant one – it will increase the chances of being reunited with your pet should anything separate you.
  • Develop a daily routine of meals, walks and playtime. Let the dog know what to expect.

What do you need to know before you adopt?
You wouldn’t adopt a child on a no-strings-attached, no-questions-asked basis, so why would you consider
doing so with a dog? Ask the shelter these questions:

  • Can you spend a trial period (i.e. at least a week) with the dog to see if it’s going to be a good fit?
  • Does the dog have paperwork documenting all inoculations since the shelter took it under their care?
  • Has the dog exhibited any anti-social or aggressive behavior to people or other dogs since its arrival at the shelter?

How Can I Help?
You don’t have to give a dog a new home to still spend lots of time with our four-legged friends. Many shelters need assistance in the form of enthusiastic, responsible and energetic volunteers. You can try the following organizations:

The Little Adoption Shop
Adoption Days
PO Home
Lan Zi Hui’s Shelter

Where do I get this new dog?
Where can I take a dog that I’ve rescued?

Beijing Human and Animal Environmental Education Center
They claim to be the only legal one in China. Check out their English-language website.
www.animalschina.org/en
http://weibo.com/bhaeec

Ms. Wang
She’s been helping rescue dogs for 20 years and is now involved in the sterilization of street dogs to help control the population.
http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/1779746071
http://idogicat-wlq.taobao.com

Lao Liu
This part-time shelter houses around 40 dogs in a courtyard. They require that potential adopters show proof of a stable income and residence and that the adopted dogs will be fed and registered properly. They accept cash donations.
http://weibo.com/nuoaizhijia
http://shop34827815.taobao.com

Lan Zi Hui’s
She has used her own money to put abandoned pets into temporary care in hospitals and pet shops. Lan says that this year has been tough to find adopters.
TBJ web user ID: xiaolan7212

PO Home
Has multiple locations, including their Tiantongyuan facility for dogs that are ready to be adopted. You can check out the dogs’ profile online. They accept cash donations and translation/marketing volunteers.
http://weibo.com/ilovedogdog
http://pohome.taobao.com

Adoption Days
This monthly showcase is the Expo of the Beijing’s dog adoption world. Venues include Shunyi and Sanlitun.
http://weibo.com/beijingadoptionday

Little Adoption Shop
This Shunyi shelter was set up by writer-translator Chris Barden after a high-profile highway rescue.
http://weibo.com/lingyangxiaopu
chris@hutongrobot.com

Know Your Laws
All dogs must be registered to a household with the PSB and possess a valid ID card.
Only one dog per household.
Find out if your local PSB enforces height restrictions for dogs over 30cm (measured at the shoulder).
All dogs must be vaccinated with the proper documentation (red book and blue book).
All dogs must be walked on a leash.

This article originally appeared on page 20 of the December issue of the Beijinger.

Click here to see the December issue of the Beijinger in full.

Photos: Sui