Caring for Canines

Being Neighbourly x Sally Andersen, HKDR

Author/ Being Neighbourly
18 April 2025

To rescue and re-home dogs and puppies, to care for those that aren’t lucky enough to find homes, and to educate the public about responsible dog care,” says Sally Andersen, when asked about the purpose of the mission of the canine-centred charity she established.

The Founder and CEO founded Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR) in 1986, as an independent rescuer, and, then, officially, as HKDR in 2003. She had sailed into Hong Kong on a yacht from Taiwan in 1984, with a plan to travel around the world. “I made it to quite a few places using Hong Kong as a base, but ended up staying,” she says. Not unlike many others before her and since.

The HKDR is currently based in Tai Po (their main Homing Centre), Kennedy Town, although they will shortly relocate to Ap Lei Chau, and Lamma Island, where Anderson lives with around 120 dogs and which was where HKDR started.

“I moved to Lamma in 1986 and started taking in stray dogs and feeding others, and when there were too many, I began trying to home them,” she shares. “HKDR was founded for the specific purpose of saving dogs and puppies from the Hong Kong Government’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) Animal Management Centres, where at that time, thousands of dogs and puppies were destroyed every year.” These days, however, Andersen says most of the dogs and puppies taken in by HKDR come from a variety of other sources.

The undertaking is a weighty one. HKDR accommodates and cares for dogs that come to them in need of homes, sees to all of their veterinary needs, finds homes for the lucky ones and provides educational school talks, as well as delivering on-site experiences for corporate groups at their Tai Po Homing Centre. The HKDR website has a designated Dog section which has photos of all of the dogs that are available, all of which have been named and profiled. Each can be sponsored or adopted.

According to Andersen, pet ownership has been growing “tremendously” over the past few decades, and, with it, a huge pet industry such as breeders, groomers, pet food suppliers, boarding kennels, and all things dog-related.

It’s not surprising: the benefits of having a dog have been scientifically proven and are well-known: from strengthened immune systems to emotional health; and “people with dogs tend to exercise more and socialize with other dog owners,” adds Andersen.

However, the CEO adds that, unfortunately, not everyone is in a position to keep a dog, and this is why there are, “so many thousands of homeless dogs, with the numbers growing all the time”.

“People quickly realize that dogs are not toys and throw them out or pass them to others, who, in turn, pass them on again, until finally the dog is abandoned,” she says, adding that there was a big spike in dogs being bought during Covid, but that at HKDR they are careful to avoid these short-term homes.” For this reason, the charity’s website has a dedicated Education section, believing that education is a key solution to animal abandonment and abuse. The charity is also active providing regular 4-week courses on how to take care of your four-legged friend or friends, and online courses on questions such as taking on a second dog.

Andersen says that the canines that are abandoned go on to breed and produce wild-born puppies, “assuming they’re lucky enough to survive”.

She explains that almost all of the wild dogs in Hong Kong are the result of pets being abandoned.

What’s the best work advice you have received?

“The best part of this work is finding wonderful homes for the dogs and puppies, and keeping in touch with the adopters throughout the dogs’ lives,” says Sally Andersen, Founder and CEO of Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR).

HKDR Headquarters
Shop 4, G/F, Cheong Yue Mansion, 13-19 North Street, Kennedy Town.

10am-5pm daily.