Hot dogs find new US homes
By Erik Nilsson (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-06-06 05:22

The pack of homeless dogs flown to the US for adoption have wasted little time in wooing prospective new owners Stateside.

A wag of the tale and a forlorn blink of dewy puppy eyes has seen American pet lovers snap up the mutts from Beijing.

China Daily reported last month how the dogs were to be whisked to the US in the first international pet adoption project.

"Twenty-six of the 30 stray dogs flown from the capital to New York have quickly found loving homes," said Oscar Rincon, associate director of the North Shore Animal League America (NSALA), one of the organizers.

Rincon said there were a bit shaken by the flight and the media attention when they arrived last Wednesday at NSALA in Port Washington, New York.

But now most are adjusting to their new homes with new loved ones - and are trying to overcome the language barrier by barking up on their English to follow commands.

About 100 hopeful adopters crowded outside the NSALA building at 5:30 am last week to be first in line to pick a Chinese pooch when the shelter opened at 10.

"Now that people have taken them home, I think the dogs will have better lives," Rincon said.

The NSALA's website tells the tragic tales behind the mutely four legged crew.

Hulu, a 2-year-old Shih Tzu mix, was abandoned by a farmer who did not think she was "beautiful" enough to be his pet.

And 3-year-old male Shih Tzu mix named Xinran, was rescued from a farmer who kept him in chains, inflicting injury to his neck.

Jiajia, a 5-year-old Shih Tzu mix, now has a new loving home, unlike her old home, where she was beaten by the family's child. The father of the family took Jiajia to the shelter after she became chronically nervous.

But thanks to the adoption programme, Xinran, Jiajia and their canine peers have found a new leash of life.

NSALA carefully screens adopters to make sure the pets move into good homes. Adopters must fill out applications and provide personal information to make sure their lifestyles match their new pets' needs.

"We sign a contract with these people to make sure they give the best care to that animal," said NSALA Associate Director Elysia Howard.

The dogs fell outside Beijing's size or breed restrictions, or were considered too common among pet seekers here, making it difficult to find them Chinese homes.

(China Daily 06/06/2005 page2)

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