Pet-animals in the concrete jungle: tales of abandonment and sentimentality on Chinese-language screens

Abstract

With the increasing concern over animal abuse and animal welfare found in local media, there have been a rising number of screen representations on this subject in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the PRC in recent years. Among them the SPCA initiated the ‘Care for Life’ short film series in 2012 in order to advocate animal welfare in the three regions. Popular Taiwanese writer Giddens Ko also produced Twelve Nights (2014), a documentary that chronicles the final days of homeless dogs in the shelter before they are euthanized or adopted. Through a comparative study of selected images on Chinese-language screens, this paper attempts to map out the topography of an affective sphere mediated by the visual narratives between animals and human. It is found that images of abandonment and sentimentality concerrning these hapless animals have often been used as tools for improving public awareness of animal rights. Under this didactic discourse, how do we critically reflect on the gloomy conditions of these pet-animals and their agency? This paper aims to provoke contemplation of the impact of urban development on the wavering yet intimate relationship between animals and human beings, as well as examining the potential susceptibility of such representations.