NEWS: Looking for a special home for a special pup!

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The CK Culture Centre has a guest staying with us at the moment - adorable pup Teddy! Are you, or do you know, a very special person who could devote time and energy to this gorgeous little guy?

Teddy can't stay with us here much longer and we urgently need to find him a new home, and fundraise for his care in the meantime. Read on to find out more about Teddy and how you can help!

Teddy has a broken spine

Who is Teddy?

Teddy is a one year old miniature poodle (the breed is called taidi in Chinese, hence his English name, which we had to think up on the spur of the moment!). He is paralysed due to a broken spine.

What happened to him?

After his accident (presumably he was hit by a car, but we have no way to be sure), it appears his previous owners initially tried to care for him, as the vet told us his injuries had happened up to a month before we found him. In early November it seems his owners no longer wanted to take responsibility for him, and he was left out in the cold in a crate with the bins outside a restaurant at the end of our road, which is where we noticed him. According to the restaurant staff he had been there for several days already, unable to get out of his box, with no access to either food or water, in near freezing temperatures overnight.

Teddy right after we first found him

What is his current health situation?

He is completely paralysed from the waist down and doubly incontinent, which means he will always need to wear diapers. Paralyzed dogs often suffer from UTIs since their bodies can't eliminate waste properly, although thankfully despite several scares this hasn't happened to Teddy yet. Teddy wears diapers for pee and we express him for poop, and would be happy to teach an adopter how to do this. Accidents do happen though! He is fully up to date on all his shots, and has no other health issues. 

What is his personality like?

Teddy is an extremely intelligent and affectionate little guy who loves to be with people and other dogs, and is interested in everything. He learnt how to use his wheelchair and how to 'scoot' around our house on his butt very quickly. He has a lot of energy and we make sure he gets plenty of exercise every day in his wheelchair, as well as playing with our other dogs. He only barks if he sees or hears someone outside, and sleeps through the night perfectly. 

What does his care involve?

As a special needs dog, his care is obviously more time consuming than it would be for an able-bodied dog but it will be more than made up for in all the love and affection this gorgeous little boy has to give! We are looking for someone who loves to care for and nurture others, and who is willing to spend some time every day on his care. 

Ideally, Teddy needs:

- Someone that is at home the majority of the time (or could take Teddy with them when travelling). Like a baby, he needs changing several times a day. Someone who works from home, or a retiree, for example, would be ideal. 

- Regular grooming. Since he spends the majority of his time on the floor, his hair gets matted and dirty very quickly. He needs a full shampoo and dry every week, and where his diaper goes needs rinsing every 2-3 days.

- A tile or smooth wooden floor to spend the majority of his time on. Teddy can't spend more than an hour or two a day in his wheelchair as it would strain his front legs, so he gets around by dragging himself along the floor on his butt. If the floor is carpeted it might not be so easy for him to get around, and he might suffer friction burns. Not to mention that if he has an accident cleaning tiles is much easier! This would ideally be the main room of the house.

- A companion. Teddy is very social, loves to play, and has a lot of energy to get out, so tiring himself out playing with another dog is going to be great for his mental health - and his new family's!

We are ideally looking for a new home in Beijing, but are willing to relocate Teddy within China or abroad if necessary.

How can you help?

Teddy deserves a loving home. But, while we are hopeful we can find him a home, we recognise that this will take some time. Since we can't keep Teddy with us much longer he will need to go into a shelter while he waits for his forever home. So we are asking for donations to help us board him there, hopefully for just a short time. The shelter is 1800/month for rescues, and our fundraising goal is 2 months' boarding for him, after which, if he still hasn't been rehomed, we will review his situation. (This price doesn't include his food or other items like diapers.) If Teddy does get rehomed, any money leftover will be donated to dog rescue organisations in China. 

Help us by sharing the poster and photos and spreading the word! Please scan the QR codes if you're interested in adopting or fostering, or would like to donate towards his care. Thank you so much!

Photo Credits

- Cultural Keys

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