Where to adopt a pet in Hong Kong

Located in Sai Kung, Catherine’s Puppies rescues dogs and puppies, providing the best possible care for the rescues until they go to their forever homes. They have a small shelter in Ho Chung in Sai Kung which is mainly free-roaming for the dogs. They hold regular dog adoption events too, so it's worth checking when puppy meets are taking place on their Instagram. 

Located in a village in Tai Po, Home for Homeless Dog is a relatively new organisation established in 2019. The founder, who has loved dogs since she was a child, quit her job and sold her property in order to build the kennel and work on it full time. The kennel rescues newborns, injured or stray dogs, while assisting in various abandonment cases, and looks for suitable adopters for them all. To adopt, you’ll need to fill in a form to meet the basic requirements and then make an appointment to visit.

Hong Kong Cats Charity (HKCC) is a non-profit rescue organisation based in Sai Kung that helps lost, abandoned, surrendered, neglected or abused cats and kittens find homes while caring for those injured. They hold adoption events for cats and work with the Hong Kong government’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) on educating the public about responsible pet ownership.

Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR) is a no-kill rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming centre for dogs and puppies with two locations in the city. Their Ap Lei Chau homing centre houses smaller dogs and some puppies, while the homing centre in Tai Po has more than 400 medium- to large-sized dogs waiting for adoption. Many of the dogs rescued are ex-breeding dogs or saved from AFCD where stray dogs are captured and often destroyed. HKDR also has an Education & Training Centre that offers a variety of workshops, training and classes to help improve dog-human communication and understanding.

Hong Kong Paws is a rescue organisation that helps both dogs and cats and is a registered animal welfare society in Hong Kong. 99 percent of the animals they work with are mongrels and domestic short hairs. They work with local animal shelters to provide the care and financial aid required for rehoming.

For more information, check out hkpaws.org

This non-profit animal organisation rescues cats, dogs, and occasionally smaller animals such as birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, and turtles. Kirsten’s Zoo is committed to finding new homes for these animals that have been abused or abandoned. They have a small cat sanctuary but rely on kind individuals to temporarily foster these animals until they are ready to be adopted. The animals are spayed or neutered and given all the necessary medical care. They also host regular adoption days, so make sure to check out their Facebook or Instagram to stay informed, and take the time to meet your potential pets first.

For more details, check out kirstenszoo.com

With the mission to help homeless cats and dogs in Hong Kong, Lifelong Animal Protection Charity, or LAP, has two adoption locations, one for cats in Sai Ying Pun and one for dogs in Tsuen Wan. They hold adoption events on occasion, but you can call ahead and visit either one of the centres to meet any of the animals. LAP has a team dedicated to the cause, so you can contact one of them directly for your specific enquiry.

Paws United Charity (PUC) is an animal rescue charity that helps to rehome cats and dogs in Hong Kong. They have a cat and a dog adoption centre in Repulse Bay and post a lot of the animals that are up for adoption on their Facebook and Instagram. 

Sai Kung Stray Friends is a non-profit organisation and shelter that helps stray, abandoned, sick and injured dogs, providing them with medical care and rehabilitation. They have around 130 dogs at their Sai Kung kennel, all of which are still looking for homes. Visitors are welcome but pre-booking is appreciated with sessions in the morning (10.30am-1pm) and afternoon (3.30-4.30pm). They also run a meals-on-wheels program that delivers food and clean water to street dogs, and works to vaccinate and spay local village dogs in New Territories.

From dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and hamsters to reptiles, turtles and birds, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) rescues and rehomes a wide range of animals while dealing with all aspects of animal welfare too. They have various locations across the city, with the headquarters in Wan Chai, which offer a variety of services including veterinary, educational, training, boarding, grooming, and of course, adoption. 

Not just a retail destination for all things pet-related, Whiskers N Paws is Asia’s first pet store that also offers adoption services. In collaboration with other animal rescues and organisations, you can adopt cats, dogs and other small animals at their in-store homing station. They have supported Hong Kong Dog Rescue with jointly held puppy adoption days; Kirsten's Zoo with kitten and cat adoption events and more. They regularly host workshops to find volunteers and search for suitable foster families for guide dog puppies.