Have you ever wondered about a dog rescue center? During this summer, I volunteered to visit Kelly Animal Shelter (KAS), a home for more than two hundred stray dogs. The shelter was initially a greenhouse, but the owner Kelly changed it into a shelter. She loves dogs very much and even wants to save stray dogs. She deems that this shelter can be a temporary home for the dogs before they are adopted. In this article, I will share my experiences of being a volunteer in the shelter.

 

On 17 May, I participated in a briefing session about the shelter before the visit. The volunteer team leaders talked about the shelter and the number of stray animals in Hong Kong. They also mentioned that not many Hong Kong people kept a pet wholeheartedly. Some did not want to have pets anymore when their pets were sick and disobedient. Eventually, they left their pets on the streets. I was a bit shocked by the number of abandoned pets. Hong Kong was supposed to be a more developed city. It was disappointing that some people, especially well-educated, were maltreated or even gave up their pets.

 

When I was going to the shelter, I thought that the shelter was spacious and comfortable because it was considered a temporary home for stray dogs. The shelter was hot and damp. In every zone, there were dogs’ feces and fur. The reason was that Kelly had to work on weekdays, so she did not have enough time to do the cleaning. Although there were other volunteers, they could not take care of the dogs all day long.

 

Then, we went to different zones and cleaned all the dogs’ droppings and refilled fresh water for the dogs to drink. When I gave them bowls of freshwater, they drank quickly. It seemed that the dogs were thirsty. I could hardly imagine that they had to live in such a small place for all eternity. I saw that some dogs wanted to get out of the shelter when they sensed that we had arrived. When we left one zone, some dogs tried to follow us. Although others abandoned them, they still had faith in humans. They even thought that not all people were as bad as their former owners. Instead, some people were willing to adopt and give them permanent homes one day.

 

When we went to the last zone, we were given some dog snacks (steamed chicken breasts). Although some dogs were afraid of humans because of negative impressions about humans, they still enjoyed eating our snacks and playing with us. You might think that the shelter was massive. It was like a miniature greenhouse, so some dogs lived in a small area. Some large dogs could barely walk because of the narrow space.

After the activity, I realized that not many people thought twice before owning a dog. As a result, when the dogs were sick or naughty, they chose to abandon their dogs. Perhaps in our eyes, dogs were not our lifelong companions. On the contrary, we were the most vital family in dogs’ eyes. We should adopt instead of buying pets from pet shops because stray pets need a home. Remember! It would be best if you think twice before owning a pet.

 

 

A short questionnaire: Are you suitable for keeping dogs?

• Are you willing to take care of dogs when they are sick and old?
• Are you willing to train them to eat and follow the rules?
• Are you willing to spend money buying all the necessities for dogs?
• Does your home large enough to allow dogs to move?
• Does your family agree that you can keep dogs?

If your answer has at least one “no” in the above questions, you should not keep a dog.