(CN-HKG) No Kill Press Release

[Guest guest]

SPCA (HK) And other Animal Welfare Organizations

- Request to STOP Euthanising Healthy & Homable Animals -

(HONG KONG, 24 February 2006)

 

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Hong Kong (SPCA

HK), among other member organizations of the No Kill City Forum, is

in full support urging the Government to implement the suggested

measures to stop the humane destruction of healthy, homable animals

brought to the attention of Mr. Frank Lau, Deputy Director (Acting)

of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) in a

meeting held on 24 February 2006.

 

" We see an urgent need to implement a number of measures to end the

unnecessary killing, such as to reduce the importation to Hong Kong

of more than 4,000 animals on an annual basis and control animal

breeding within the Territory. Having to euthanize over 24,000

animals each year many of which are healthy and homable is simply

unacceptable, " says Steven Calpin, Executive Director of the SPCA

(HK), after a meeting held. The Government should tackle the

problems leading to surplus amount of animals, not the consequences,

said members of the Forum. " Killing can never rectify the

undesirable fact that we have a surplus of companion animals. If

mass extermination could solve the animal overpopulation problem, the

Government would have had it dealt with half a century ago. They

need to urgently and effectively address the cause of this animal

surplus, " Calpin added.

 

The SPCA (HK) and other member organizations under the Forum are

disappointed with the inaction on the part of the Government, despite

a number of meetings held with senior government officials, with

promises unrealized.

 

A number of measures aimed at reducing and controlling the excess of

companion animals have been proposed in the meeting held on 24

Feburary and they are:

1. Pushing ahead on improving legislation (Cap. 139 – Public Health

(Animals and Birds) (Animal Traders) Regulations) on the traceability

of animals from pet shops, animal breeders and importations through

micro-chipping, and control of companion animal breeding (both

commercial and non-commercial) through the improvement of regulations

and the embracement of animal abandonment under Cap. 169 The

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance.

2. Wider implementation of Animal Birth Control Programmes, viable,

humane and cost-saving alternatives to mass extermination of surplus

pets, loosely owned, stray and feral animals; a. Differential

registration / licensing fees for owned animals, which are

substantially higher for intact ones, to encourage owners to desex

their animals to avoid excessive litters from being born, b. The

wider implementation of the Cat Colony Care Programme (CCCP), a stray

cat birth control programme first introduced by SPCA (HK) in August

2000 that reduces the stray cat population, c. Introduction of an

Animal Birth Control programme for stray dogs, d. The enforcement of

the existing code of conduct for construction site dogs and, through

education, encourages the construction industry to

practice " Responsible Pet Ownership " by micro-chipping and desexing

the dogs, and to relocate them from site to site.

3. Territory-wide education programme to enhance responsibility

among owners of companion animals.

 

Not only will the Animal Birth Control programmes and animal trade

regulation measures proposed significantly improve animal welfare in

Hong Kong and reduce the number of animals humanely destroyed each

year but they will also reduce the estimated nine million tax-payers'

dollars spent annually in controlling and humanely destroying these

surplus animals.

 

The SPCA (HK)

The SPCA (HK) was first established by a group of volunteers in 1903,

and reorganised in 1921 to actively promote kindness to animals, to

protect their health and welfare, to prevent cruelty and through

education to inspire a deep respect for life so that all living

creatures may live together in harmony.

The Society has gone through stages of metamorphosis from striving

for the prevention of cruelty to animals to the enhancement of animal

welfare. The Cat Colony Care Programme (CCCP) was implemented in

August 2000 to humanely control the stray and feral cat population.

In August 2002, the SPCA (HK) has implemented a NO KILL POLICY.

Through public education campaigns, the Society is bringing the

message of " Responsible Pet Ownership " to the frontline in an attempt

to reduce pet abandonment by irresponsible owners.

 

Media enquiry, please contact:

Ms Doris Yiu, Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications Tel: 2232

5555 Email: doris.yiu <doris.yiu Ms

Rebecca Ngan, PR & Communications Manager Tel: 2232 5518 Email:

rebecca.ngan <rebecca.ngan

 

Fact Sheets

 

No Kill Policy

The SPCA (HK) implemented the No Kill Policy in August 2002, with

such aims that no healthy, homable animals should be humanely

destroyed.

With the Policy introduced by the SPCA (HK), the number of dogs

humanely destroyed by the SPCA (HK) has reduced drastically from as

much as 6,000 in 1996 to slightly more than 1,000 in 2002. More

importantly, the AFCD also reported reduction in the number of dogs

humanely destroyed with the No Kill Policy introduced by the SPCA

(HK).

Besides a revised animal receiving policy, various measures to reduce

the number of surplus animals have been implemented, with the Cat

Colony Care Programme (CCCP) being one of those newly introduced.

 

Cat Colony Care Programme (CCCP)

The Cat Colony Care Programme (CCCP), first inaugurated in August

2000, has desexed close to 8,000 stray cats thus far. More than 300

lucky ones found homes for themselves. Currently, SPCA (HK) has 251

volunteers registered to bring stray cats for desexing and thereafter

care for the wellbeing of these cats.

These stray cats, besides desexed, were also microchipped,

vaccinated, defleaed and dewormed under SPCA's Cat Colony Care

Programme (CCCP), a humane alternative to the traditional Trap and

Kill method. Putting a stop to the breeding cycle by desexing the

stray cats can effectively stop more litters from being born and

repeating the miserable lives of their predecessors.

Those feral ones will be returned to their original colonies (where

they used to live), while the friendly ones will be channeled to the

Homing Department.

SPCA (HK) looks forward to the continuing expansion of CCCP in all

areas in Hong Kong. However, the success of the Programme is

governed by the support from the community. Without the consent from

the neighbourhood, CCCP cannot be implemented. Failure to implement

will only render more unwanted kittens from being born.

To help minimize stray cat population, one can register as a

volunteer, or alternatively, donating food or money to SPCA (HK) can

also help.