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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Tse hopes that all animals have a peaceful end to their lives, which is also the promise made by the House of Joy and Mercy.
The shelter is committed to caring for all of its elderly dogs until they pass away, providing them with comfort and support during their final days.
Readers may find some images below to be distressing.
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