This week: unsung heroes
Volunteering for a good cause is something I have always wanted to do but have rarely had the time for. I have been known to volunteer to do workshops and seminars at primary and secondary schools, but that pales in comparison with friends who volunteer their time to help build schools on the mainland, help out on a semi-permanent basis at old people's homes or raise funds for disadvantaged children in the developing world.
My godmother, Lucy Wong, is one of the very few permanent volunteer staff at the city's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and is one of the longest serving. I remember her being there 10 years ago when I started working in Hong Kong. She has worked tirelessly for all these years helping dogs and cats for no reward to speak of, except for the satisfaction of a lick and a purr from the little lives she helps to save.
My first encounter with Lucy was because of her beloved shih-tzu, Partner. The poor dog had progressively worsening lameness that eventually meant it couldn't walk at all. X-rays helped diagnose Partner as suffering a rare auto-immune disease that destroys all the joints in the body. Partner had been lying on its side for years and it was because of the dedication of Lucy and her husband that what looked like a hopeless situation for Partner could be turned around so it could have a reasonable quality of life. I am forever saying to Lucy that if anyone else was the owner of Partner, it would probably be better to recommend the animal be put down.
Lucy Wong, with her tenacity and love, is in charge of the SPCA's puppy and kitten fostering programme, which was started primarily because of the large number of kittens and puppies that were being dumped and needed to be put down.
It is impossible to forget the experience of having to euthanise whole litters of healthy puppies and kittens. I remember having to put down more than 50 puppies in one day; it was unavoidable at the time because there simply were not enough cages or the resources to find homes for so many.
Also, many of the kittens and puppies were awfully small and sickly. In most adoption programmes worldwide, dogs and cats are available for adoption only when they have grown to a suitable size and age. The minimum age for adoption is usually two months. In the old days many animals that were less then two months old were put down, so the advent of the fostering programme has saved a lot of lives.