Volunteers seek lost pets during Hong Kong inferno

As firefighters battled floor after floor of Hong Kong’s burning Wang Fuk Court housing complex to find survivors and reunite them with their terrified relatives, another group of volunteers sprang into action to rescue pets on the site.

Dozens of workers from Hong Kong’s animal welfare agencies set out through the night in oxygenated pet carriers and animal ambulances to search for pets at the burning complex; Social media posts depicted elderly people crying for the animals they left behind in their rush to save human lives.

During the fire at the complex on Thursday, some animal welfare workers carrying cages negotiated with police to let them pass through cordons to keep the public out.

“He contacted our alliance of pet owners and we compiled a list of more than 100 cases,” said Anson Cheng of animal welfare group Hong Kong Guardians.

“We shared the cases with firefighters so they could help them check apartments and remove pets if they see them.”

As of Thursday morning, at least 10 cats, seven dogs and several turtles had been rescued, Cheng said.

At least 44 people died and nearly 300 people are missing in the ongoing fire.

The fire may have been spread by unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work, police said on Thursday.

Cheng said Hong Kong’s system of microchipping dogs and cats meant it was possible for some survivors to be reunited with pets that managed to escape the fire.

Sitting under a blanket in a nearby park, the woman surnamed Law said she was waiting for her cat throughout the night and looking for news on internet platforms.

He left 10-year-old Fa behind when he ran away from his home, hoping to return.

“When I came down there was a very small fire,” he said.

“Half an hour later, the fire reached its highest level. Nearby areas were also burning, there was no way to get in. I feel bad.”

Animal welfare organizations say pet ownership, from dogs and cats to rabbits and hamsters, is increasingly popular, despite Hong Kong’s cramped apartment lifestyles.