A doggy decade Sally Andersen toasts new legislation governing pet shops and breeders. 2013 marks the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, which is cause for celebration. With a bit of luck, this year will be a special one for the dogs of Hong Kong. Hopefully, it will see the Legislative Council passing the long-awaited tightening of regulations for breeders and pet shops, putting an end to the suffering of the trade’s four-legged victims. This is something animal NGOs have been pushing for since I can remember, so its passing would be a huge achievement. Attitudes to HKDR and the local pet industry have changed hugely in the past decade. It surprises even me to remember how it used to be in the “old days”. Long-term volunteers laugh about HKDR’s early days in Pok Fu Lam where we were banned from bathroom facilities and had to climb through a small hole in the wall left by an air conditioner, or hide out of sight in one of the dog pens.
Photo: Kat Kuok.
pets
When we had no Homing Centre or kennels, we took our dogs and puppies to wherever we could show them off. On one memorable trip to an adoption event in Discovery Bay, a volunteer and I took cages of puppies on the front of an open sampan, and had to cling on for dear life when an unexpected squall came through. These days I celebrate when every dog or puppy leaves us for a new home, giving me a sense of satisfaction and pride in a job well done. Every puppy I've taken out of the AFCD’s kennels, and loved and cared for until it’s finally adopted is an individual to me – not just another puppy but a unique personality and character. To date, HKDR has found homes for about 7,000 such dogs, and while I can't claim to remember every one of them in detail, they have all made their mark on my life in one way or another.
Sally Andersen is the founder of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, a charity that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes unwanted or abandoned dogs.
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