Pets provided their owners with much-needed companionship during the pandemic, when ownership in Hong Kong grew along with spending on food and medical care for the animals. But ownership comes with responsibilities.
And there has long been a recognition that the welfare of animals in the city needs to be better protected.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has warned that a post-pandemic desire among people to travel has dampened enthusiasm for keeping pets, contributing to a rise in the number of cats being abandoned. The group handled 1,594 cats last year, an increase of 20 per cent compared to 2023.
It rescued 35 sick and abandoned cats in Sai Kung in just three days in September, including purebred animals, sparking a police investigation and suspicions their owner had intended to use them for financial gain.
The SPCA says the adoption rate for abandoned animals in need of a home is not keeping pace with the number of cases it handles.
