Caring for others : an analysis of animal welfare and animal rights organizations in Hong Kong

Abstract

Animal welfare has become a hot-button issue in recent years, and the predicament of animals in Hong Kong has become a focal point for public concern. This research will begin by exploiting a criminological conception of what it means for animals to be “victims,” with a focus on the moral status of animals and animal welfare policies in Hong Kong. Using insights obtained from 15 face-to-face interviews with members of local animal welfare organizations, we have indicated how animals in Hong Kong are being neglected, abused, or treated in ways that are often thought to be to their benefit from human’s perspectives, amid the different conceptions related to animal rights and animal welfare that determine their hierarchy and status. We have also traced the origins and development of animal welfare organizations in the city. To address the problems identified, we have come up with recommendations from three perspectives - legal, cultural, and institutional - with the belief that everyone of us can take a proactive step to improve animal welfare. We hope that our recommendations will strengthen collective efforts to maximize the protection of animals, and benefit to animal in our city.