My family and other animals

In part two of her series on how Hong Kong treats its household pets and what that tells us about its people, Joyce Yip wonders if some owners see their furry friends as substitutes for children.

Last May, Alice Leung took her bichon, Bubu, to a dog-exclusive event at the Hermès flagship store in Macao, where she is a frequent customer. Much to her delight, the luxury boutique has carpeted a sizeable section of its floor with artificial turf and installed a colorful obstacle course for pet dogs brought in by patrons. A professional dog trainer watches over the four-legged guests at play, while doting pet owners dutifully record every detail of the good times had by all, to be circulated on social media.

Leung has spent more than HK$20,000 ($2,560) on a Hermès harness and leash for Bubu. On most days she personally prepares fresh meals for her pet. Bubu has a dedicated room, though most of the time she could be found in her owners' living room or on their bed. Since adopting her, Leung and her husband have slashed their overseas vacations by half, replacing weekend getaways with quality time spent in the company of Bubu. And when they do travel, a lot of their time is spent buying expensive pet paraphernalia for their favorite mutt, not minding the extra costs incurred on account of the additional check-in luggage.

Leung adopted Bubu in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since getting her, "my husband and I have been spending more time at home together as a family rather than hanging out with friends separately," says the proud owner.

Brandon Tomkinson and his wife also refer to their canine companions — a toy poodle and a mongrel, also adopted during the pandemic — as family. The couple is not planning to have any children.

"My wife and I both grew up with dogs, hence not having them in our lives was not an option," Tomkinson says. Going on walks with one's pets serves as an antidote to the stress of living in Hong Kong's typically small apartments, he adds.

The couple takes the dogs on hikes, or to the beach. Tomkinson proudly states that his 7-pound (3.2-kilogram) poodle has no trouble keeping pace with him on 20-kilometer hiking trips. "Yes, it's time-consuming, but it's our way of spending family and couple time together," he says.