In my home, strays find respite from an unkind existence

On a cold winter’s night in December, I spotted a shivering puppy hiding under a car. It was clearly terrified but appeared to be in good condition. Mao Yi, as she was later to be known, became the second dog I have adopted since coming to China in 2015.

My other two dogs — a brown and white Pekinese-crossbreed aged around 6, named Hillary, and a 1-year-old black mongrel named Max — were also rescued dogs. Life had not been kind to either of them. Hillary was found outside in the winter cold using some old cardboard as a bed. It would be comforting to think she had only been there a few days, but a visit to the vet revealed she had likely been outside for years. Those years of living in the extreme temperatures of China’s hot summers and cold winters had given her the body of a much older dog and resulted in bone spurs in her legs, causing painful mobility problems.

Max cannot have been homeless for as long, given his age, but his short life appears to have been a traumatic one. Marks running around his neck suggest an attempt by someone to strangle him; and following his rescue, he was diagnosed with the often fatal distemper virus. It has taken almost two months of veterinary care for him to regain his health.

I never planned to share my apartment with three dogs or spend a fortune on veterinary bills, but it has been worth it. The three now have a comfortable home and are well-cared for.

I would really like to know the background stories of all three dogs. I would like to meet their original owners and ask them what prevented them from finding new homes for these dogs if they could no longer look after them.