Surge in abandoned animals amid land clearance for Northern Metropolis development
Pets and guard dogs left to fend for themselves due to lack of government rehoming policy, with animal welfare group’s clinic ‘overwhelmed’
Three-legged dogs and one-eyed cats are common sights at a veterinary clinic opened by an animal welfare group in the Fo Tan area of Hong Kong’s Sha Tin district, with some of these animals having been there for so long that the medical centre has become their home.
While their injuries or illnesses vary, they share the same painful experience of being displaced by the Northern Metropolis development project, a government blueprint to transform 30,000 hectares (74,132 acres) into a powerful engine for economic growth and a major housing hub.
The sweeping land resumption driven by the mega plan in the New Territories has triggered a growing animal welfare crisis, as many residents and business operators abandon their animals ahead of government clearance deadlines.
A South China Morning Post reporter observed that nearly 10 stray dogs were seen roaming in Man Kam To, an area beside the mainland Chinese border, while one of the few remaining factories in the vicinity kept five guard dogs.
Industry advocates say the current situation is critical and have urged authorities to establish permanent sites to resettle the displaced animals.
Kent Luk Ka-chit, founder of the Paws Guardian Rescue Shelter, explained that many dogs and cats traditionally served as guard animals or provided rodent control in rural areas, but the current land resumption involved a large number of brownfield sites, forcing many factory operators either to close down or to relocate into high-rise industrial buildings with space limitations and no practical need for guard dogs.