Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong)
Encyclopedia
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong) (SPCA (HK)) (Chinese:
香港愛護動物協會) is a charity
for animals in Hong Kong
.
It is the first charity in Hong Kong which deals with animal welfare. It was founded by a group of volunteers in 1903 and re-established with the Governor Reginald Edward Stubbs
as President and Patron in 1921. It then became an active organization in Hong Kong. The Society is run by an Executive Committee elected by members who provide veterinary services and fund-raising programmes in order to support the organization economically.
In 1995, members of RSPCA vote at Annual General Meeting to drop the prefix "Royal" from the Society's name and becomes the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong) (SPCA (HK)), with effect from 1 January 1997. The current President of The SPCA (HK) is the former TVB actress, Gigi Fu (傅明憲). The Patron of the Society is the wife of Chief Executive Donald Tsang
(曾蔭權), Mrs. Selina Tsang(曾鮑笑薇).
The SPCA (HK)'s headquarter is located in Wanchai at Hong Kong Island
. Other SPCA (HK) centres are located in Pok Fu Lam, Ho Man Tin, Mong Kok, Sai Kung, Cheung Chau, Mui Wo and Hang Hau to provide veterinary and homing services for animals in need.
The SPCA is in talks with the AFCD to implement a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program for stray dogs similar to the Cat Colony Carer Programme. This TNR program assigns volunteers to look after stray dog colonies. The stray dogs are captured by the volunteer, brought to the SPCA for neutering and vaccination against rabies, and returned to the area they were found.
SPCA is also campaigning for the ban of fur seal products in Hong Kong. The Canadian fur seal is the biggest seal hunt in the world where each year up to 300,000 seals are killed for their skin. The European Community has recently banned the import of fur seal products in an effort to stop the hunt on grounds that it is inhumane. SPCA believes that the trade will shift towards Asia, and a timely ban in Hong Kong will permanently stop the seal hunt
The Society generated 56.3 million from operations and 10.3 million in other income in 200708. The major source of income was from advertising income (8.6 million) and fund-raising activities (7.1 million). The major source of expenditure was welfare and community support services (22.5 million) and veterinary services. According to the SPCA (HK)'s annual report for year 2007 to 2008, they received a total of HK$3.4 million from donations during the year.
Table 1 Net revenue for the year
Handle complaints about cruelty to animals, and give warnings or advices where appropriate, prosecution may be used in some cases where tougher action is needed. According to the SPCA's Annual Report 07-08, during the year, they received 1199 emergency vet calls, and their inspectors had collected or rescued 6629 animals.
Organize school visit and exhibition in shopping malls to spread the message of compassion, respect and care for animals. In 2007-08 289 talks were given to young people reaching 20,004 audiences
The SPCA website is also committed to educating the public on how to look after pets responsibly. Vet's Corner and the Treasure of Knowledge pages are full of useful information such as what to do if your pet becomes ill.
Vaccinate, treat and find new homes for abandoned animals. Animals who can not be adopted after a certain time may have to be put down.
Look for foster parents for puppies and kittens which are too young to leave their mothers. Foster parents generally look after the young animals until a permanent home can be found.
The SPCA (HK) has a policy of Responsible Pet Ownership (RPO) as a solution to reduce the overpopulation of abandoned animals. Surrender can only be done in office hours, so that the SPCA (HK) staff can try to ascertain the reason for the surrender.
Offers training programmes, including Puppy Socialisation Training and Basic Obedience Training.
Assign hearing dog to the people in need, they serve as their ears and eyes.
Provide boarding service to members for their cats and dogs. The service includes daily monitoring of food and water intake, toilet habits and demeanour by trained kennel staff enabling any health issues to be detected earlier. In addition, basic grooming and one on one leisure time to the boarding animals are available for keeping boarding animals clean and healthy.
Offer a full range of grooming services from "Full Professional Grooming", "Special Clipping", flea baths, gentle shampooing, nail clipping, trim between the paw pads, ear cleaning, brush or coat clipping and scissoring. All profits generated from the services go to help the needy animals.
Provide regular veterinary services to their member's companion animals with the static clinics and the mobile clinic vehicle. Along with regular veterinary services, the department also provides special veterinary services such as "Weight Management Clinics" and "Wellness Clinics" for animals in need. According to the Annual Report 04-05, 64,969 animals had been given veterinary treatment from their clinics during that year.[3]
has long been controversial among animal lovers and pet owners. According to the SPCA (HK)’ｓannual report, 4128 animals were put down by the society in 2007 to 08.[3] During the past few years, there were more and more reports about the society’s euthanasia policy.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
香港愛護動物協會) is a charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
for animals in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Background
Before 1997, it was named the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (皇家防止虐待禽畜會). The SPCA (HK) is a registered Hong Kong charity whose remit is not only actively to pursue the cause of animal welfare primarily in Hong Kong but also in the rest of China and the region.It is the first charity in Hong Kong which deals with animal welfare. It was founded by a group of volunteers in 1903 and re-established with the Governor Reginald Edward Stubbs
Reginald Edward Stubbs
Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs, GCMG was a British colonial governor, who was once the Governor of Hong Kong...
as President and Patron in 1921. It then became an active organization in Hong Kong. The Society is run by an Executive Committee elected by members who provide veterinary services and fund-raising programmes in order to support the organization economically.
In 1995, members of RSPCA vote at Annual General Meeting to drop the prefix "Royal" from the Society's name and becomes the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong) (SPCA (HK)), with effect from 1 January 1997. The current President of The SPCA (HK) is the former TVB actress, Gigi Fu (傅明憲). The Patron of the Society is the wife of Chief Executive Donald Tsang
Donald Tsang
Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, GBM, KBE is the current Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Government of Hong Kong....
(曾蔭權), Mrs. Selina Tsang(曾鮑笑薇).
The SPCA (HK)'s headquarter is located in Wanchai at Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
. Other SPCA (HK) centres are located in Pok Fu Lam, Ho Man Tin, Mong Kok, Sai Kung, Cheung Chau, Mui Wo and Hang Hau to provide veterinary and homing services for animals in need.
Mission and duties
Its mission through the century is "to promote kindness to animals, to protect their health and welfare, to prevent cruelty and through education, to inspire in the community a deep respect for life so that all living creatures may live together in harmony."Recent action
The SPCA (HK) has been working towards the increase of access for dogs in public areas. Currently there is very limited space for dogs and their owners in Hong Kong. Most of the accessible spaces for dogs such as country parks and beaches are located in remote areas. Concerning the health and behaviour of dogs, The SPCA (HK) is now lobbying with District Councils, Government Departments and special interest groups. Some progress is being made and the SPCA (HK) encourages pet owners and members of the general public to get involved with these discussions.The SPCA is in talks with the AFCD to implement a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program for stray dogs similar to the Cat Colony Carer Programme. This TNR program assigns volunteers to look after stray dog colonies. The stray dogs are captured by the volunteer, brought to the SPCA for neutering and vaccination against rabies, and returned to the area they were found.
SPCA is also campaigning for the ban of fur seal products in Hong Kong. The Canadian fur seal is the biggest seal hunt in the world where each year up to 300,000 seals are killed for their skin. The European Community has recently banned the import of fur seal products in an effort to stop the hunt on grounds that it is inhumane. SPCA believes that the trade will shift towards Asia, and a timely ban in Hong Kong will permanently stop the seal hunt
Financial resources and account information
In the Society's official website, it states that they "rely heavily on individual donations, membership subscriptions, and contributions and income from fund-raising events".The Society generated 56.3 million from operations and 10.3 million in other income in 200708. The major source of income was from advertising income (8.6 million) and fund-raising activities (7.1 million). The major source of expenditure was welfare and community support services (22.5 million) and veterinary services. According to the SPCA (HK)'s annual report for year 2007 to 2008, they received a total of HK$3.4 million from donations during the year.
Table 1 Net revenue for the year
| HK$ million | 2008 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| Veterinary services | 6.0 | 6.1 |
| Fundraising activities | 7.1 | 6.6 |
| Member services | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Welfare and community support services | (22.5) | (19.0) |
| Donation | 3.4 | 3.9 |
| Advertising and other income | 8.6 | 4.1 |
| Interest income | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Administrative costs | (1.8) | (1.8) |
| Surplus for the year | 6.6 | 5.7 |
Animal welfare
- Inspectorate
Handle complaints about cruelty to animals, and give warnings or advices where appropriate, prosecution may be used in some cases where tougher action is needed. According to the SPCA's Annual Report 07-08, during the year, they received 1199 emergency vet calls, and their inspectors had collected or rescued 6629 animals.
- Education and Exhibition
Organize school visit and exhibition in shopping malls to spread the message of compassion, respect and care for animals. In 2007-08 289 talks were given to young people reaching 20,004 audiences
The SPCA website is also committed to educating the public on how to look after pets responsibly. Vet's Corner and the Treasure of Knowledge pages are full of useful information such as what to do if your pet becomes ill.
- Homing
Vaccinate, treat and find new homes for abandoned animals. Animals who can not be adopted after a certain time may have to be put down.
- Fostering
Look for foster parents for puppies and kittens which are too young to leave their mothers. Foster parents generally look after the young animals until a permanent home can be found.
- Surrenders
The SPCA (HK) has a policy of Responsible Pet Ownership (RPO) as a solution to reduce the overpopulation of abandoned animals. Surrender can only be done in office hours, so that the SPCA (HK) staff can try to ascertain the reason for the surrender.
- Behaviour Training
Offers training programmes, including Puppy Socialisation Training and Basic Obedience Training.
- Homing Hearing Dog Programme
Assign hearing dog to the people in need, they serve as their ears and eyes.
Pet care
The SPCA (HK) offers various services for animals in need. The charges of the services are different due to diverse categories.- Boarding Service
Provide boarding service to members for their cats and dogs. The service includes daily monitoring of food and water intake, toilet habits and demeanour by trained kennel staff enabling any health issues to be detected earlier. In addition, basic grooming and one on one leisure time to the boarding animals are available for keeping boarding animals clean and healthy.
- Grooming Service
Offer a full range of grooming services from "Full Professional Grooming", "Special Clipping", flea baths, gentle shampooing, nail clipping, trim between the paw pads, ear cleaning, brush or coat clipping and scissoring. All profits generated from the services go to help the needy animals.
- Veterinary Services
Provide regular veterinary services to their member's companion animals with the static clinics and the mobile clinic vehicle. Along with regular veterinary services, the department also provides special veterinary services such as "Weight Management Clinics" and "Wellness Clinics" for animals in need. According to the Annual Report 04-05, 64,969 animals had been given veterinary treatment from their clinics during that year.[3]
Adoption
One of the SPCA (HK)'s most well known services is the animal adoption. In year 2007 to 2008, 2904 animals were successfully adopted.Surrender
SPCA (HK) may accept, under certain conditions, dogs and cats surrendered by their owners. Alternatively, pet owners in HK have the option of surrendering, unconditionally, their pets directly to the Animal Management Center.Euthanasia
The SPCA (HK)’ｓattitude towards animal euthanasiaAnimal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
has long been controversial among animal lovers and pet owners. According to the SPCA (HK)’ｓannual report, 4128 animals were put down by the society in 2007 to 08.[3] During the past few years, there were more and more reports about the society’s euthanasia policy.
Pawprints
Pawprints(足印) is a quarterly newsletter published by the SPCA (HK). Its contents range from the SPCA (HK) news and announcements to international news concerning animal welfare. Interviews with the SPCA (HK) staff and vets are also featured. The public can go to their official website to read the past issues of Pawprints.See also
- Animal RightsAnimal rightsAnimal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
- Cruelty to animalsCruelty to animalsCruelty to animals, also called animal abuse or animal neglect, is the infliction of suffering or harm upon non-human animals, for purposes other than self-defense. More narrowly, it can be harm for specific gain, such as killing animals for food or for their fur, although opinions differ with...
- Humane SocietyHumane SocietyA humane society may be a group that aims to stop human or animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons, although in many countries, it is now used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals...
- Overpopulation (animals)Overpopulation (animals)The phenomenon of overpopulation in companion animals refers to the large number of homeless domestic cats and dogs. In the United States alone, between 3 and 4 million cats and dogs are euthanized each year because no one volunteers to adopt them...