Hong Kong Dog Rescue

Between the notorious Mid-Levels Dog Poisoner and the myriad horror stories of abused pets, one might get the impression that Hong Kongers don't like dogs very much.

That's not actually the case, plenty of folks are responsible owners, but their image gets tarnished by those who aren't, in particular people who abandon their dogs.

They bring crowds of sentimental animal-lovers flocking to the cinemas - but dog rescuers groan in exasperation when films like the US Christmas number one Marley & Me, starring a Labrador puppy, hit the big screen in Hong Kong.

"Films like Marley & Me don't help our situation," said Sally Andersen of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, recalling how hundreds of huskies were bought and then abandoned after the 2006 movie Eight Below.

"After 101 Dalmatians, we saw a lot of abandoned Dalmatians - and just recently we've been seeing a lot of eight and nine-year-old schnauzers being dumped.

"I didn't understand why until one of my Chinese volunteers told me that about nine years ago, the MTR Corp had a big advertising campaign featuring a schnauzer. People in Hong Kong are very much influenced by trends like that. They see something on films or TV and they say, 'I want that dog'."

Sadly pedigree dogs often fail to live up to buyers' expectations. "Many of the dogs bought in pet shops are loved, dressed and wheeled around for a few months but then eventually get abandoned, especially the large breeds.

"We see a lot of huskies and we get golden retrievers all the time. We also see a lot of cocker spaniels. As puppies they are really cute because they are small with the big ears and the sad face but they are also hyperactive. They're not easy to look after."

Recalling a recent case, Ms Andersen said: "On Christmas Day at 1am someone saw a Pekinese being dumped on the road in Mid-Levels. They picked it up and it came to us. It was blind and very fat, but had been well groomed. So it couldn't see, it couldn't walk because it was so fat but it had a lovely coat. Someone just dumped it."

That's cold.

My friend and fellow photographer Carolyn Oneill has a documentary gallery featuring Hong Kong Dog Rescue on her site.

If you live in Hong Kong and want to consider adopting a dog, call Hong Kong Dog Rescue at 9448 1128 or 2875 2162.

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