Deliveroo campaigns for pet adoption in Hong Kong – how about a dog with your dim sum?
- Drivers for meal delivery service will display photos and details of available pets on bags, in joint effort with Hong Kong Saving Cats and Dogs Association
- Dog shelters in Hong Kong are struggling as fundraising dries up amid coronavirus restrictions and as families relocating are forced to abandon pets
Student Mandy Lou spends a lot of time wandering around Tseung Kwan O, a district in the southeastern New Territories of Hong Kong that she covers on foot for a food delivery service.
For the next few days, however, Lou will be delivering more than just food. She is taking part in a campaign organised by Deliveroo and the Hong Kong Saving Cat and Dog Association (HKSCDA) to raise awareness about pet adoption.
The idea is simple. Deliveroo riders display on their bags photos of animals that are up for adoption, including stickers with each animal’s name, gender and personality type. More adoption and donation details are available via a QR code.
“I’m hoping to inspire friends in the district to take action, whether it’s to adopt or just donate,” Lou says.
It’s a much needed campaign. Each year more than 5,000 animals are rescued in Hong Kong but fewer than 2,000 are adopted, according to 2019 figures from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
Linda Tse, founder of HKSCDA, says working with the food delivery network will increase exposure of animals looking for homes. “It will also allow more people to learn about our adoption services and convey the message of ‘support adoption to save lives’,” she says.
The campaign coincides with International Homeless Animals Day, on August 15, an event created by the International Society for Animal Rights in 1992 to spread awareness about pet overpopulation, pet abandonment and the benefits of spaying/neutering.
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Narelle Pamuk, founder of Sai Kung Stray Friends Foundation, says many people have lost their jobs and left Hong Kong. “Others are unwilling to commit to a pet for financial reasons amid fears of a looming recession,” she says.
