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During a deadly fire at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, dozens of pet owners waited outside a nearby estate, hoping their animals were still alive.
Volunteers from various animal rescue groups were also waiting with them. They were ready to help any pets that firefighters saved from one of Hong Kong’s deadliest fires in decades.
“When firefighters carry animals down, we go and receive them immediately,” Bon Chan said. Chan is the founder of a local animal rescue group, Turtle Inn.
“The firefighters ... were covered in soot, their clothes burnt. You could tell they had been through a lot.”
At an estate near Wang Fuk Court, animal rescue groups and district councillors made a temporary station to take care of the pet survivors.
Firefighters gave the rescued pets to staff from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). They recorded each animal’s information as vets checked on their health. Other volunteers helped residents register their missing pets.
Reptiles were given to Chan. The volunteer in his 40s recalled how he took care of the animals even as it grew cold in the early morning.
“Reptiles need warmth, so my car became a heated shelter for them,” he said.
An emergency station for animals
Chan specialises in caring for reptiles and birds. He helped about 50 reptiles between November 26 and 29.
“Sometimes, turtles are a bit luckier – owners usually keep them on the floor or in shallow tubs of water, which gives them a better chance of surviving in a fire,” the volunteer explained.
Most of the reptiles he helped were reunited with their owners, and a few were sent to a clinic or the SPCA.
Now, Chan is still taking care of 14. Some of them have not been claimed, and others have owners who cannot tend to them at the moment.
“They handed their turtles over to me first because they had just lost their homes. We’re temporarily taking care of their animals for them,” he said.
But not all of the animals survived, Chan said. Some died soon after being rescued.
Despite the hardships, Chan stayed in Tai Po to help even the smallest survivors.
“One owner called me four times, and right after the fourth call, his turtle was brought down. He was overjoyed. He cried when he got the turtle back so quickly,” the volunteer recalled.
“We all gathered around him as I handed the turtle back personally. When I get to return an animal to its owner, that’s the one truly happy moment.”
A glimmer of hope
According to the SPCA, about 84 pets are still missing even after the police’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) completed its search for animals on December 4.
But some animals might have escaped on their own, said SPCA head of inspectorate Marsha Chun. She asked authorities to place food, water and traps inside Wang
Fuk Court to help find any surviving animals.
During its search, the DVIU found a black cat named Little Black. The feline was alive after surviving nine days alone in a flat. Little Black was taken to the SPCA for a check-up and later reunited with its owner.
The SPCA is caring for pets whose owners cannot be reached. The organisation is also sharing the animals’ photos online to help them find their families.
For pet owners whose animals survived, Chun advised observing if their behaviour changes or if they seem upset after the incident.
