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Kylie Knott

Narelle Pamuk’s care for dogs runs deep.
Every Friday she and a volunteer from the Sai Kung Stray Friends Foundation (SKSFF), in Hong Kong’s New Territories, complete a two-hour round trip to the border with mainland China to feed and monitor dogs that roam the fish farms there.
“We manage the health of the dogs on the fish farms by providing dry food and a cooked chicken meal,” says Australian-born Pamuk, who founded SKSFF in 2007 and registered it as a charity in 2014.
“We visit 10 sites to very welcoming, beautiful, loving dogs who are always happy to see us arrive as they are always hungry. They whimper with happiness and run to greet our car.”

It is a long-term commitment – and an expensive one. Each month it involves 40 bags of chicken and 48 bags of dry food, as well as preventive care and veterinary treatment for the dogs.
“It only takes one visit to understand how dependent and appreciative these dogs are of our ongoing care and love,” Pamuk says.

Since 2021, Pamuk has operated a trap-neuter-return scheme to stop the uncontrolled breeding of free-roaming dogs in the border area.
“The big challenge is stopping the breeding by desexing,” she says.
Organising desexing, vaccinations and vet visits are part of daily life for Pamuk. So is organising fundraising events – which are needed now more than ever.
We are hard-working volunteers who are always trying to raise funds[…] But we need a financial injection
Narelle Pamuk
The shelter is facing a financial crisis as a rise in rent, combined with the need to pay rent arrears amounting to HK$1.1 million (US$140,000) that were run up during the Covid-19 pandemic, takes its toll.
“Devastatingly, we received a notice from our landlord to vacate our main shelter by September 30 this year, because of outstanding arrears,” Pamuk says.
“At the shelter I have more than 200 dogs of all ages – puppies, young adults, seniors and dogs with health issues and blindness,” she says. “Most are long-term residents and this is their home.”
With not enough time to find alternative premises or plan a relocation of so many dogs, Pamuk has no option but to stay and pay not just the outstanding rent but accept a new six-year lease for which the rent starts at HK$55,000 a month, up from the current HK$40,000. “I need to pay a two-month rental security deposit of HK$114,000 – it is never-ending,” she says.

“I need to accept, fully knowing we have a shortage of funds [ …]. We need exposure of our circumstances for donor support.”
“I signed a new lease from my heart for the security of the dogs [ …] I was in a defenceless situation and it was financial suicide,” she adds. The shelter is already stretched financially.
Monthly operating costs, including rent, for the shelter amount to about HK$300,000, but this excludes vets’ bills, which can be as high as HK$400,000 per month.
“We are hard-working volunteers who are always trying to raise funds by selling donated goods on the streets of Hong Kong, attending fairs and events. But we need a financial injection and [we are] appealing for donor support to stay operational at our beautiful shelter.”

Finding alternative space for the shelter is not easy, Pamuk says. “We are not welcomed with open arms into new villages with over 200 dogs.”
She adds: “If you have not seen our shelter, it is in a quiet pocket of Sai Kung, up in the hills, accessible by road and close to walking trails.
“Our dogs enjoy daily walks with our volunteers in this beautiful part of Hong Kong. Our shelter receives a lot of [visits] each year from families, schools, and corporate groups.”












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Education, Pamuk says, is the best way to raise public awareness about animal welfare. She also wants government support for free desexing programmes that would reduce the number of dogs being euthanised by Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
“The future of our compassionate volunteer work is to help innocent dogs to have a better life and future,” she says.
In 2022, Pamuk’s commitment to rehoming stray dogs earned her a nomination for the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, an annual event co-organised by the Post and property developer Sino Group to recognise unsung heroes in the city.

A recent trip to the border, where the SKSFF team stumbled upon an injured dog as well as nine newborn puppies, shows the never-ending challenges the charity faces.
“My husband keeps asking me when am I going to stop but I can’t – there are always dogs in need,” Pamuk says.
Donations can be made via SKSFF’s website. Donations of HK$100 or more are tax-deductible.


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Sai Kung Stray Friends Foundation founder Narelle Pamuk with a stray dog in Hong Kong. Photo: SKSFF

Sai Kung Stray Friends Foundation founder Narelle Pamuk with rescued dogs in Hong Kong. The dog shelter faces a rent rise, and must pay rent arrears, and the Australian native is seeking a financial injection for the charity from donors.  Photo: Jonathan Wong

A dog greets an SKSFF volunteer during a visit to the Hong Kong-mainland China border, where it feeds strays and arranges their desexing. Photo: SKSFF

Pamuk prepares food for stray dogs near the Hong Kong-mainland China border. Photo: SKSFF

Pamuk’s commitment to feeding stray dogs on the Hong Kong-mainland China border is expensive, involving 40 bags of chicken and 48 bags of dry food every month. Photo: SKSFF

Pamuk cleans water bowls on one of her weekly visits to the Hong Kong-mainland China border. Photo: SKSFF

SKSFF organises vet visits to provide treatment for sick and injured dogs. Photo: SKSFF

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