Welcome to the SPCA Welfare Website
Here you can learn about all aspects of animal welfare in Hong Kong, including the principles of welfare, the laws, animal welfare concerns in Hong Kong, and the programmes and campaigns that the SPCA runs.
The SPCA's goal is to prevent any unnecessary suffering of animals, its mission statment is:
"To promote kindness to animals, to protect their health and welfare, to prevent cruelty and through education, to inspire in the community a deep respect for life so that all living creatures may live together in harmony."
So what does Animal Welfare exactly mean?
A concern for animal welfare begins on the premise that animals are sentient beings, that are capable of feeling, and are able to experience both suffering and well-being. Numerous studies have shown that animals are complex beings, able to experience emotions, communicate with each other, learn and feel pain.
Animal welfare is about ensuring the wellbeing of the individual animal from the animal's point of view. It includes animal health and encompasses both the physical and psychological state of the animal.
Central to evaluating the basic well-being of an animal is the Five Freedoms of animal welfare which you can learn about here.
