THE BIRTH OF THE S.P.C.A.
972
At the opening of the new Dogs' Home on Wednesday, brief reference was made to the birth of the Hongkong Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This is worthy of a fairly full record in the "Old Hongkong" series, so I propose to give the facts in some detail.
In the Hongkong Telegraph of July 24, 1903, appears the following:
We are pleased to give publicity to the following letter, of to-day's date, which we have received from Mr. I. A. Hewett:-
Sir,
From time to time notices appear in the local press of cases of cruelty to animals, and we have only too good reason for believing that whatever the actual merits or demerits of each individual case brought to the notice of the public may be, a very great amount of unnecessary and easily preventable cruelty takes place in our midst.
For some time past inquiries have been made privately with a view to the formation of a local society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, but progress has been impossible owing to the difficulty in finding someone with sufficient leisure to undertake the duties of Secretary.
That a need exists for such a Society will, I think, be generally admitted, this more readily so when it is remembered the good work done by the Royal Society at Home.
If such a Society is needed in Great Britain where for so many years past public sentiment has been educated to consider the humane treatment of animals how much more must this be the case in a community such as this, largely composed of ignorant lower class natives who neither by association nor training are restrained from the infliction of suffering upon dumb creation.
I feel convinced from the sympathy already expressed from various quarters that a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will meet with the required support, once a definite scheme is put before the public, and I am encouraged in the belief that our Chinese friends will also readily join in the movement from the fact that charitable persons in the interior of China found and maintain asylums for ownership of sick animals.
I now therefore venture to urge this question upon public notice through the local press, and to ask those interested to take the matter up without delay in order that a Society may be formed for the protection of our dumb friends.
While asking assistance from the public we must not ignore the good work done by the Government, which is fully alive to the necessity for putting down all forms of cruelty to animals, and the ample provision to deal with this evil provided by the law; but as we know how greatly this good work is supplemented elsewhere by similar institutions we would wish to see in our Colony a like Society.
I feel sure it only needs a little energy on our part for us to do here what is being so worthily done in other parts of the Empire.—(sd.) EDBERT A. HEWETT.