[Rhi]

I am looking to purchase a puppy in HK ... I know there are lots of pet shops about however, I was hoping someone out there might have a recommendation on a good pet shop or dog breeder where I could purchase a nice healthy puppy .... thanx

[carang]

please DO NOT buy from a pet shop or breeder! so many of them sell unhealthy animals.

there are so many beautiful dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds at the rescue shelters (SPCA, HK dog rescue, PALS, etc). help one of these lovely animals find a loving home.

[nina_70]

I would have to agree w/ Carang. Unfortunately I've seen where some of these dogs (in the small pet stores) come from, and I don't recommend supporting that kind of breeding. Alot of the dogs also turn out to have health issues (we've seen some of them on this forum).

I would like to direct you to the following organizations

www.hongkongdogrescue.com
www.spca.org.hk

The HK Dog Rescue and SPCA have some lovely, healthy dogs and puppies. Go have a look on the week-end....you might fall in love...

[dropdedfwed]

Come on guys...

we understand that no one likes to see dogs suffer, and we all know that lots of breeders and pet shops have less than savuory hygeine standards, but lets face it, a rescued stray dog is not ideal for every one.

I deal with a lot of dogs from breeders and petshops, not all are suffering, not all are ill. anywhere there is intensive housing of animals will have its woes with disease and hygeine - rescue centres included.

and, if you hark back to the "roots" of these stray dogs, where did they come from? a breeder or petshop?

i understand that by buying/rescueing a stray dog you are saving a dog from termination, but generally these creatures are dumped, sometimes for no fault of their own, and sometimes due to behavioural vices. care must be taken in choosing the right dog for your lifestyle.

I know i am risking a red square from someone who does not agree (as often happens on this forum when one expresses an opinion based on knowledge, not hearsay), but that's just tough.

the OP was asking if we knew of a petshop or breeder that did not fit the stereotype we speak of. they were not after a lecture on something they have probably already thought about.

no offence guys, serious.

Rhi - can't help you. best advice is to find a pup (from either a rescue centre or a petshop/breeder) you like, and have it checked by a vet. use your nose as judgement, filthy smelling places, stale urine/poo etc generally result in pups with infectious upper respiratory problems (etc etc etc). there is also a bit of parvo going around now. make sure the person you buy from allows a vet check before you secure a deal, or make sure you are ready and willing to support a potentially sick puppy.

it is a big responsibility to take on.

have fun, hope you find your buddy,

DDF

[carang]

in 12 years here, i have NEVER heard of a successful purchase from a breeder or a pet shop. i'm not saying that they don't exist, i'm saying I've never heard of it (and we deal with dogs & their owners everyday!) what i HAVE heard are horror stories of people spending over $5000 for a puppy that dies within days AFTER they've already racked up $1000's in vet bills. the breeders/pet shops say, "sorry was healthy when i sold it".

i agree that some rescue dogs have issues, others were dumped as newborn pups and have not even had a chance to develop yet. i have 2 rescue dogs that are fantastic. i got them from the spca when they were approximately 2 months old. the second one had health issues that developed within days of getting him. we took him back to the spca and asked what we could do. they told us we had 2 options: 1) return the dog to the spca and he would go into the hospital, where he might get better or he might get more sick. we could then pick out a new dog; or 2) they would supply free of charge all medications that he needed to see if he'd get better....
well, we chose the second option and we haven't looked back since. at least with the spca, you have options. they don't say,"tough luck, no guarantee"

[hello_there]

If you are really set on buying a puppy, consider international breeders. A coworker of mine has a dog that came from a breeder in Australia. Not all are keen on shipping a pup to HK though and you may need to convince a reputable breeder that you will provide a suitable home for the dog. But, a problem with getting a puppy from abroad is that you probably won't be able to visit the kennel, meet the parents, etc.

I know its been said on here before, but looking for a puppy through a local rescue operation is a really good option, even though it may take a little while to find the right dog. It took a few weeks for me to find my dog, but he's been the healthiest, smartest and cleanest dog that I have ever owned. Some additional benefits of a rescue pup are: you can find out a little more about the dog's personality from the people who have been caring for it, especially if the pup has been fostered in a home (which quite a few are - and these guys are likely to be potty trained and well-socialized) and mixed breeds are often less prone to diseases (and if in the care of a rescue organization also more likely to receive the appropriate vaccinations than at a pet shop) that are common in poorly bred purebreeds which are, unfortunately, characteristic of Hong Kong. There are also some smaller rescue organizations that focus on finding homes for particular dog breeds, if you are really interested in one sort of dog. If you do decide on a pet shop animal, make sure to have a good vet examine the puppy completely beforehand. Unfortunately, I only know of sad pet shop stories. One of our neighbors bought a poodle which had parvo. It didn't make it, and, another neighbor's dog, which had not been properly vaccinated, ended up getting parvo from the poodle. Tragic.

Oh, what type of dog (big, small, active, quiet etc.) are you looking for?

Good luck finding your new puppy.

[dropdedfwed]

i also see pets and clients on a daily basis. And beleive it or not, there are a lot of pets from petshops that do just fine. we only remember the ones that come from a petshop with distemper, respiratory tract infections, parvovirus, other gastroebenteritis etc... we forget the ones that we see that get a clean health bill.

my point was - not everyone is suited to a stray/adopted dog. I have 3 adopted pets. all great. i have worked for years in a welfare/rescue centre (though i am not working in one at present). there is enough sad stories to break everyone's heart, but it still does not mean pups should not be bought from breeders or petshops. a bigger question would be - should you be buying a pup at all?

i dont support the way a lot of dogs are bred and sold. but it does not mean that all petshop pups are bad (otherwise you could argue that all the dogs in HK would be bad!).

the OP asked for a good breeder or petshop. not an ethical/moral lecture, though i am sure they are open to adoption if it suits their lifestyle.

DDF

[sunniefaith]

I bought a puppy from Causeway Bay and she did have probs. She had kennel cough which the first vet thought that it might be distemper and then she had scabies. But she's all sorted out now. It is true that there might be issues getting a dog from a pet shop and you have to be really careful

[Sleuth]

This is slightly off-subject, but is Mid-levels really a good place for a dog? Is HK really a good place for a dog?
By "good-place" I mean are there areas where dogs can roam and sniff and frolic or are they basically all confined to flats and walked on the (polluted) streets by DHs?
Seems to me HK is more house-cat territory. And caged birds, hamsters, fish.
And yes, I grew up with dogs, but on an acre of land adjacent to a large forest. We let the dogs out in the morning and they came and went as they pleased. A lot of families in the area had dogs, but they all had the same basic life. And the dogs had children and stay-at-home moms to be with if they wanted company.

[KnowItAll]

>> they basically all confined to flats

Better than being confined in a cage or being eaten for dinner.

I'm sure a Mid-Levels flat still ranks above being left in the wild to forage for food and somewhere below the Utopian acre field free of predators.

(Ignore me ... I had a few bored moments to make an observation...)