Opinion | No excuse for abandoning pet dogs in Hong Kong – tougher laws are needed to deter such cruelty
- A spaniel found after being abandoned in a remote part of the city and taken to a dog rescue centre has been named Phaedra, from the Greek for bright
- As a purebred dog she has a good chance of being rehomed, but for others the future is less bright. Tougher punishment is needed for treating pets like trash
In early August a young golden cocker spaniel was found abandoned in a remote part of Sai Kung, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, tied to a long metal fence with a short lead.
Images of the dog were posted on social media, sparking sadness and anger among canine-lovers in the city.
Luckily, a couple driving past at night spotted the dog and took her to Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR), a no-kill rehabilitation and rehoming centre. Its founder, Sally Andersen, says leaving a dog like that was cruel and unnecessary. “There’s no excuse for abandoning a dog on the street or worse – especially a small pure breed. We have waiting lists for such dogs, as do other organisations.”
The spaniel, since named Phaedra, is undergoing treatment for a large open wound on one paw that was infected with flesh-eating maggots. One of her toes was fractured and she tested positive for heartworm.
She didn’t have a microchip, but a vet said she was about two years old.
HKDR, like other animal shelters and rescue centres in Hong Kong, has many stories of pets being abandoned: some left in country parks, others on the side of the road or tied to posts without access to food or water. Puppies have even been found in refuse bins, thrown away like rubbish, says Andersen.
