Hong Kong rugby community members share their dog adoption stories
- Two dog families with ties to the local rugby scene share adoption and fostering stories plus the challenges and benefits of owning a dog
- Both had reservations about adopting in a city like Hong Kong but have found the experience both challenging and rewarding
Jordanne Grey said her dog Loki, named after the mischievous but ultimately redeemable brother of Thor in the Marvel Comics movies, definitely lives up to his name.
“He does test our patience at times,” said Grey, who works as a partnership account manager for the Hong Kong Rugby Union. “But he is a really well-behaved dog. He just recently had his full set of vaccinations so we can take him outside, he is very sociable and loves meeting other dogs and people.”
Grey, who adopted Loki along with her partner Greg Rawson from Catherine’s Puppies about 11 weeks ago, said the decision wasn’t part of their plan when they moved to the city 18 months ago from New Zealand (Rawson is originally from Hong Kong). Grey admits they weren’t looking to adopt a dog, but saw a puppy on the adoption agency’s Instagram feed and were drawn to him for some reason.
“We just thought, ‘Oh my God we have to go meet this dog he looks absolutely gorgeous.’ So we went to visit him and that was it. It sounds like such a cliché but we knew that was our dog.”
Catherine Lumsden started the adoption agency in 2015 and has since found homes for around 1,100 rescued dogs. Lumsden said they currently have just under 70 adult dogs at the shelter in Sai Kung and around seven puppies being fostered.