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As birth rates decline and the number of childless households rise, many have turned to the companionship of animals, with over 240,000 households now caring for 400,000 dogs and cats in Hong Kong. The government’s 2025 policy address, which promotes a “pet-friendly culture”, rightly identifies this as a driver of economic growth. Yet, as we strive for this status as a society, we must confront a jarring contradiction: a sophisticated city that simultaneously harbours profound, hidden cruelty.

Our current reality is sobering. The documentary The Days of Small Things, marking the 10th anniversary of Paws Guardian Rescue Shelter, highlights the daily struggles of frontline volunteer rescuers. Since 2025, we have collaborated with this organisation to analyse their rescue data, seeking to bridge the gap between frontline experience and policymaking. This data represents the collective experience of our most vulnerable animals and is a prerequisite for systemic change as Hong Kong embraces biodiversity and animal welfare.

We find that many animals are treated merely as functional tools – dogs chained as security guards or cats used for pest control. When these animals fall ill, the “fur baby” narrative vanishes. Owners often abandon them to avoid medical costs, shifting the burden onto an already stretched rescue sector.

Even more distressing is the “dark side” of our natural landscape: trap-based poaching. These devices inflict excruciating, prolonged pain, causing horrific injuries and death to both wildlife and domestic pets.

Disturbingly, some animals are trapped as “game” for consumption. This is not only abhorrent but fundamentally illegal. Under the Dogs and Cats Regulations (Cap. 167A), the slaughter of dogs or cats for food is strictly prohibited, while the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170) and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169) mandate the protection of animals from such barbaric practices. The persistence of these acts suggests a dangerous lack of public awareness regarding the brutality occurring in our own backyard.

Animals are more than mere commodities in a burgeoning pet economy; we must recognise that animals, too, lead lives of subjective depth and meaning that parallel our own. A world-class city is measured by how it treats the most vulnerable, both humans and non-human animals. We require a legislative framework that enforces a “positive duty of care” and a society-wide effort to eradicate this casual cruelty. It is time for the government not only to take pride in the development of a pet-friendly economy, but also to demonstrate the moral determination required to protect all living things.