Sparrow

HKDR was founded in 2003 for the specific purpose of saving dogs and puppies from the Hong Kong Government’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) Animal Management Centres, where at that time thousands of dogs and puppies were destroyed every year. These days most of the dogs and puppies taken in by HKDR come from a variety of other sources. Some of these dogs are ex-breeder dogs, those that are no longer useful for the purpose of producing puppies for the pet trade. They are inevitably in poor health and condition due to their previous hard lives, and they need extensive veterinary treatment, including surgery. Of the dogs and puppies lucky enough to be rescued by HKDR, the larger ones will be taken care of at our main Tai Po Homing Centre, while smaller dogs and puppies awaiting re-homing stay at Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre. As much as possible, very young puppies are placed in temporary foster care where they can live in a home environment before being permanently adopted. Our foster network also plays a vital role in helping dogs who come to us in poor health or needing surgery. Alongside the rescue and re-homing efforts, education is also an important part of HKDR’s mission, with workshops and online seminars on a variety of subjects being regularly hosted. HKDR also runs monthly ‘Positive Partners’ Training Courses, which are designed to promote responsible pet ownership as well as reward-based training methods.