This Sunday, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty, or the SPCA, to Animals held its annual “Dogathon” at Hong Kong’s Disneyland. Over 1,000 participants brought their four-legged friends to the park for a day of fun. The event kicked off at 8 a.m. with a 5-kilometer walk around the Promenade. Following the walk, participants found their way to the coach park for a pet-friendly carnival that featured a variety of live music performances, local cruelty-free vendors and obstacle courses. Breeds of every shape, size and color flooded the park and played together for hours making it a day to remember.
According to their website, “the SPCA’s mission 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.”
The SPCA rescues abandoned, sick and injured animals, finds homes abandoned and rescued animals, works with the government to implement animal welfare legislation and educates the public on responsible pet ownership. Despite the massive amount of community improvement that the SPCA has provided since 1921, it only receives 1% of its funding from the government. Events like the Dogathon provide a great way for the nonprofit to raise funds while providing a way for the pet owners in Hong Kong to interact and form a community.
Jane Gray, a SPCA veterinarian who has worked with the organization for over 25 years said, “I believe that we aim to ensure that people have respect for all life. One of our specific goals is that no healthy animal has to be put down because of a population concern. I never thought I would be here for 30 years, but the work this organization has done has been incredible.”
The SPCA holds several other events throughout the year in Hong Kong to aid its fundraising efforts. If you would like to learn more about the SPCA, visit their website at https://www.spca.org.hk/en/.