“Who in this room owns a household pet?”, immediately, over 90% of us Year 12s raised our hands. It was with this simple question from the passionate HKDR volunteers that we shuffled our chairs forward, sat up straight and fixed our eyes onto the screen. It was clear how useful this week’s session could be to all of us. We were truly privileged to have representatives from Hong Kong Dog Rescue visit us at Island School and educate us enthusiastically about pet trade, adoption, as well as everyday interactions with dogs. From the very start, we were inspired by HKDR’s missionary statement: Rescue, Rehabilitate, Re-home. If there was one motto they stuck to, it was the fact that they never chose to kill any dogs. No matter what age, health condition, type of breed they were. This organization was founded in 2003 and we were all happy to hear that they have already managed to re-home 7000 dogs. However unfortunately, over 12000 dogs are still killed by the AFCD and SPCA every year. This sheer number provoked us to do our part and contribute towards this meaningful cause. In fact, many of our Year 12s are currently involved in volunteering at their shelters. Hence, during our session, Emily Kot (12N) also shared her experiences at the Ap Lei Chau shelter every week. Through her short explanation, we could see her genuine love for all the dogs and the compassion she possessed to help rescue these beloved animals. It was from this that we began to understand why HKDR promotes “rescue as the best breed”.
On the other hand, HKDR made sure that we were also well informed of the lifelong commitment needed to adopt these dogs. On average, dogs have a life expectance of 12 to 16 years and it costs approximately $8000 a year. Furthermore, enormous amounts of time must be spent taking care of the dog and training them. In particular, HKDR left an impact on us with this honest quote; “There are no such animals as bad dogs. There are only irresponsible owners.” We are positive that after this session, all of us as Year 12s will also remind any close friends and family who are considering adoption, to think everything through before making their final decision.
Lastly, the volunteers stressed the importance of desexing and the proposal of new amendments to current AFCD laws on pet trade. We were horrified to hear about the current conditions dogs were put in; for example, many are forced to have their vocal cords cut in order to prevent barking. If HKDR manages to pass the new laws, the government will have the power to take away pet shop licenses when animal rights are violated. In terms of desexing, numerous students became informed of the surprising benefits of such a process. Desexed dogs tend to live longer, behave better and are less prone to diseases. HKDR’s engaging session thus influenced us to utilize our abilities and spread this message with enthusiasm.
The next time any of us stumble across a dog on the street, we are confident that we will be able to interact appropriately with the dog, yet also, we will be reminded of the necessity to promote HKDR’s primary goal: to rescue, to rehabilitate and to re-home. All in all, this week’s Speaker’s Hour was valuable and especially relevant to many of us with dogs at home!
Island School Speaker's Hour 