In Pictures: Inside a Hong Kong shelter for animals without a home

Hong Kong Free Press

Hong Kong stray animal shelter House of Joy and Mercy does not just provide refuge for four-legged creatures.

“I would call this place my home because I live here,” Ivy Tse, the centre’s founder, told HKFP.

Kyle_HKFP_20230521_DogShelter-1 — A group of university students visits the House of Joy and Mercy in Yuen Long to volunteer with the animals, on May 8, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The shelter is located in a remote corner of Yuen Long. Within its walls, each of the more than 200 animals has a unique backstory.

Some were injured strays, left to fend for themselves on the streets. Others were abandoned by their owners for various reasons, while some were rescued from breeding farms.

“We have a white dog that was rescued from a breeding farm. He was injured and has a persistent erection problem, hopefully he will recover in a few months,” Gloria, who works at House of Joy and Mercy, told HKFP.

Kyle_HKFP_20230521_DogShelter-2 — Ivy Tse, the founder of House of Joy and Mercy in Yuen Long, May 16, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Tse has long loved animals. She once adopted a Rottweiler named Ah Gwan, who had been rescued from a breeding farm. Despite his size, Ah Gwan was scared of sticks and poles, such as those used for broom handles.

It was this that inspired Tse to name him Ah Gwan, with “gwan” being the Cantonese pronunciation for “stick.”

Kyle_HKFP_20230521_DogShelter-3 — Puppies are cleaned up ahead of an adoption day in Sham Shui Po, on May 13, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Ah Gwan died of cancer in 2015, which led Tse to contemplate the nature of life and death and become more devoted to Buddhism.

That same year, she invested HK$200,000 into establishing the House of Joy and Mercy, which is known in Cantonese as Ah Gwan House. In 2017, the shelter became a registered charity – it relies largely on donations.

Kyle_HKFP_20230521_DogShelter-4 — Animal clothes hang out to dry outside the shelter in Yuen Long, on May 8, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Running the shelter is hard, busy work. Tse is constantly occupied with various tasks, such as processing documents for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) or animal welfare charity the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

She also organises volunteer groups and adoption days, attempts to balance donations and expenses, cleans up after the animals, administers medication, and tends to the dietary needs of the shelter’s dogs, cats, parrots, turtles, and goats.

Kyle_HKFP_20230521_DogShelter-5 — Staff of House of Joy and Mercy rescue a bird while walking the shelter’s dogs in Yuen Long, on May 8, 2023. The bird was sent to Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden for medical assistance. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

After a long day’s work, Tse sleeps in a room at the shelter with elderly dogs that need special care, giving them comfort and companionship.

“It is easier for puppies and young dogs to get human attention; volunteers and visitors are willing to pet them. I spend more time with those elderly dogs,” Tse said.