Amidst the pandemic, East Village hair stylist Eloise Cheung, 43, decided to do something she always wanted: foster dogs. So far, she has taken in four puppies who have been permanently placed with families.
I have always wanted to foster a dog. But as a hair stylist, I work on magazine, commercials and movie sets, and my schedule is always unpredictable and involves a lot of travel.
As the coronavirus loomed, I knew that I wouldn’t be working for a while, so I sent an application to Social Tees Animal Rescue. Soon, I had Dora, a Shih Tzu mix who was dumped at a shelter in Tennessee. Having an animal around is pure unconditional love. The physical contact and hugs were wonderful.
After Dora was adopted, I took in 8-week-old terrier-mix sisters Helena and Hester. They were so adorable, but it was like having babies — constant attention. But that structure is good — I can’t just sit in bed all day and be depressed. Finally I had Holden, a 4-month-old hound mix who is such a lovely dog. I am still in touch with all of the people who adopted my dogs, and they send me pictures and videos.
It’s also given me more contact with my family, who live in London, Beijing and Hong Kong. My nieces and nephew want to video chat to see the puppies. It’s been magical having an animal in the equation during the dark time. Also, I don’t know when my work will resume, so perhaps I’ll add pet grooming to my skills! — As told to Kirsten Fleming
Read more about silver linings from the coronavirus pandemic.
