[English] THE S.P.C.A. ANNUAL MEETING OF HONGKONG SOCIETY.

THE S.P.C.A.

ANNUAL MEETING OF HONGKONG SOCIETY.

A year of useful activities was reported by the Chairman at the annual meeting of the Hongkong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals which took place in the Board Room in Messrs. Jardine, Matheson's Building last evening.

Mr. D. H. Blake, President of the Society took the Chair, and there were also present, Mr. H. V. Parker (Hon. Treasurer), Mr. B. O. Blaker (Hon. Secretary), Mr. A. Stevenson, Lady Pollock, and other members and friends of the Society.

The Chairman, in his review, said:

The past year has been a busy one for the S.P.C.A. The President, Sir Henry Pollock and Lady Pollock who have been so prominently connected with the work of the Society for many years past left the Colony for a well earned leave of absence. Unfortunately on their return Sir Henry Pollock stated that owing to his many public duties he did not feel that he could continue to act as President and therefore resigned. He however has consented to act as a Member of the Committee and to give us the benefit of his valuable assistance. Lady Pollock is also an active Member of the Committee. We are all very glad to see them in such an excellent state of health after their well earned holiday.

During the past year there has been correspondence in the newspapers as to the work of the Society and it has been most gratifying to notice what interest the general public does take in the Society. Owing to the nature of our work it is difficult to bring ourselves generally before the public.

Three Inspectors.

The Committee employs three Inspectors namely, Messrs. Hudson, Woodyear and O'Brien. It is their duty to visit the markets in Hongkong and the New Territories, wharves, railway stations, bird shops and other places where live animals are to be found in captivity or transport and to do their best to teach the Chinese how to treat beasts without causing them undue suffering or pain. It is the experience of the Inspectors that coolies and others in charge of animals are willing to learn and as a rule suffering is caused through thoughtlessness rather than from any actual cruelty and desire to cause pain.

The Society have rebuilt a portion of the Dogs' Home in Kowloon and have erected permanent offices in the place of the matshed that was demolished in a typhoon. The new buildings have been so constructed that in the event of the Government requiring the site the same can be pulled down and reconstructed at little cost in another position. The Home is clean and well kept. Persons who are about to proceed on leave and cannot find friends to look after their dogs are well advised to leave them at the Dogs' Home. The Police and others who find stray dogs of good breed send them to the Dogs' Home to be looked after and if they are not claimed the Society attempt to find homes for them. If members of the public require dogs we hope they will make a call at the Dogs' Home and see if they can find one there that takes their fancy.

The Dogs' Home will also accept dogs suffering from disease and attend to them during their treatment and cure.

Unwanted dogs are also taken in and other homes are found for them or they are despatched in a humane manner.

The Rabies Scare.

During the period under review the Authorities have been conducting an Anti-Rabies campaign in the Colony and firm preventive measures have been adopted which have been embodied in the Dogs' Ordinance 1927 and the Regulations made thereunder. This legislation was considered by the Committee and a deputation waited upon and were courteously received by the Acting Colonial Secretary, the Captain Superintendent of Police and the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon. The following is a precis of the discussion of the meeting:

At the outset it was admitted that Rabies is so terrible a disease that the most drastic measures must be taken for the elimination of it and for the prevention of further outbreaks. The Colony is a particularly difficult territory to control. Dogs can enter from across the border into the New Territories; dogs may be brought into the Colony by junks, steamers and other vessels. It is almost impossible for the Police or other Authorities to control the importation of dogs. The Authorities have insisted upon the observance of the Muzzling Regulation. Dog Patrols have been in operation which have done their best to catch unmuzzled dogs and place them in detention. The Officers on this duty have reported that dogs are often very elusive and when caught were sometimes dangerous to handle. The system in operation is to noose the dog with a rattan noose and then place the animal in a small cage and conduct it to the nearest place of detention. Other systems of catching dogs were discussed, particularly the use of a net. This method has been tried in other cities but apparently a dog is much more likely to struggle and hurt itself in a net than in a noose and there is also a difficulty in getting a dog out of a net. Reports have it that some of the users of the net render the dogs unconscious with a hammer before attempting to release the beasts. We were assured that from practical experience the noose is the more efficient and humane.

Shooting of Dogs.

The question of the shooting of dogs was also discussed at the conference and we were assured that this was a most unpopular duty among the Police and that the extreme penalty was only inflicted in cases where dogs could not be caught. It may be that some owners feel that their dogs have suffered death unnecessarily but I would ask them to consider the agonies suffered by the victims, fortunately few in number, of Rabies in this Colony.

It was suggested by the Deputation that preferential treatment should be given to dogs that had been inoculated, but at present the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon is not prepared to make any recommendations. The rabies bacillus apparently varies in strength in different parts of the world and therefore a vaccine which is for example efficacious in France may be of no effect in the U.S.A. Experiments, are now being conducted by the Veterinary Department in the Colony and as soon as they can give an authoritative statement it will be published.

The Boy Scouts.

The Society is co-operating with the Boy Scouts Organisation in promoting an annual competition for Boy Scouts. Every year a scheme will be given to each Boy Scout Unit wishing to compete, embodying some research or investigation relating to natural history which will be worked out by the Unit and developed in the form of an essay which will be submitted as the product of the Unit. The essays will be judged and the winning Unit will receive a challenge cup for one year and a memento. Sir Henry Pollock has presented a handsome challenge cup. Mr. Finnigan is the originator of this competition and we thank him and Mr. Waldegrave on the work they have done in completing it. We look forward with interest to the first competition which will take place quite soon.

It is to be an essay to be written as the result of a trip to be taken from Happy Valley to Aberdeen, via Queen's Road, Central Market, Dairy Farm and Victoria Road. The competitors are to state what birds and animals they saw, what they were doing and under what conditions they were kept. Weather conditions were to be noted, etc. Suggestions were also to be given as to improvements which might be indicated.

In these days of flapper voters and the like, the ladies expect equal treatment and we are anticipating every day to be approached by the Girl Guide Organisation for a similar competition. I am sure we shall welcome such overtures and will be happy to arrange for the Girl Guide Units also to compete in a similar scheme.

Subscriptions.

In the past it was the custom of the Society to publish a list of all subscribers of $2 or upwards and to call them Members of the Society. This has been discontinued for the reason that many of our best subscribers particularly desire that their names shall not be mentioned. We would much rather regard the Society as being the property of the community at large and feel that we are at the call of animal lovers whether they be subscribers or not. We welcome suggestions from anyone and will do our best to investigate any reports of cruelty to animals.

The question of subscribers brings us to the accounts. Dealing first with the Dogs' Home account it will be observed that this is in a satisfactory condition. Thanks to Sir Robert Ho Tung's Endowment Fund and to a donation by Mr. Patell of $300 which he has given for so many years.

The Accounts.

The General Account requires more careful attention. We have no endowment fund but rely upon donations. The Hongkong Government gave us $2,500 under an arrangement that they would give $1 for every dollar collected from outside subscriptions up to a maximum of $2,500. The Jockey Club gave us a subscription of $1,000. The balance was collected from the general public. As you may remember we organised a drive throughout the offices and shops in the central district of Hongkong. This was received well by the public who appreciated that they were being asked for subscriptions for the year and that desultory applications would not be made from time to time. By means of this drive we obtained subscriptions from well over 1,000 individuals. We have their names recorded upon the collecting cards and it is proposed that in the present year a similar drive will be made. If we are supported in this effort we shall be able to continue our work on its present scale.

The principal expenditure of the Society is in salaries to Inspectors. I have already indicated the work that they do. Three Inspectors have been employed by the Society for several years and having regard to the size of the area that they have to cover I do not regard their number as excessive. These Inspectors are always ready to make enquiries as to cruelty to animals and will do their best to teach wrong doers to mend their ways and if necessary will institute proceedings in the legal Courts. The Society does not encourage legal proceedings as they feel that more good can be done by persuasion than by punishment.

Appreciation.

You will observe that Mr. H. V. Parker of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation has acted as Honorary Treasurer of the Society. He is always glad to receive subscriptions on behalf of the Society.

The Society desire to express their thanks to the Jockey Club for their donation of $1,000 and express the hope that it will be renewed; to Mr. M. J. Patell for kindly again giving $300 towards the feeding of the dogs in the Dogs' Home; to the Ladies of the Committee who so ably carried out the collection of subscriptions; to Messrs. Jardine Matheson and Co. Ltd., for the use of their Board Room for our Committee Meetings and Annual General Meetings and last but far from least to the Press for the very kind assistance that they have given to the Society on many occasions and particularly in connexion with the drive for the collection of subscriptions.

With these remarks I beg leave to move the adoption of the report and the passing of the accounts and after that has been seconded any matters connected with the report and accounts will be open for discussion.

Officers Elected.

The Accounts showed that $9,980 was paid as salaries to Inspectors, while other expenditure was in connexion with the upkeep of the Dogs Home, and sundry expenses. The revenue amounted to nearly $9,000 from subscriptions and donations, and from the income derived from the Sir Robert Ho Tung Endowment Fund. The Government made a grant of $2,500 while Mr. M. J. Patell also donated a sum of $300 during the year.

Mr. A. Stevenson seconded the adoption of the Report and Accounts, and the motion was carried unanimously.

The following officers were elected for the present year: President: Mr. D. H. Blake; Vice President, Mr. W. B. Finnigan, Hon. Treasurer, Mr. H. V. Parker; Hon. Secretary, Mr. B. O. Blaker. A large and representative general Committee were also elected.

Mr. J. Russell, of Quarry Bay, expressed himself as being much concerned with the shooting of dogs against which there was a complaint from Quarry Bay. He asked what the procedure was to become a member, and suggested that membership on the General Committee be extended to represent every district. He also suggested that a membership list should be drawn up, not necessarily with the view to publication, but to give added interest to the work of the Society. Incidentally, the Society would be assured of a more or less stable revenue from subscriptions.

Secret Gifts.

The Chairman pointed out that some of their donors were reluctant to have their names disclosed as would necessarily be the case where a membership list was given. Much work could be done by members who came forward with practicable suggestions and the Society would make it a point to carry these out where feasible. However, he promised to bring the whole question of membership before the next meeting of the General Committee, and invited Mr. Russell to serve on it.

Mr. Russell also expressed the view that much useful work coming within the scope of the Society could be done by the holding of, for instance, an Animal Welfare Week, or an Animal Show to demonstrate what the animals could be like when well-treated.

After further discussion, the meeting terminated. A vote of thanks was given for the Chairman and other officials, and also for the ladies who attended the meeting.

Source:

1. Page 2, "Hongkong Telegraph", Thursday, 29th March, 17th Year of the Republic of China

   • 8th Day, Leap 2nd Lunar Month, Wu-chen Year

   • Thursday, 29th March, 1928 Common Era

2. Page 8, "Hong Kong Daily Press", Thursday, 29th March, 17th Year of the Republic of China

   • 8th Day, Leap 2nd Lunar Month, Wu-chen Year

   • Thursday, 29th March, 1928 Common Era