Haiku No.3

This haiku just came to my mind, literally, while I met with the ladies of our newly founded cat rescue to go through our website, and we talked about countries we had loved to travel in.

My friend is saying
People smile and dance in the streets
I so love Hongkong*

This is not a very traditional Haiku (the second line has eight syllables) but since I already butchered Line One and Three.

Also, I wondered for some time whether I can love a place that belongs to a country that has such a poor animal welfare record and demands animal testing on cosmetics.

However… Hongkong actually has, with the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), a strong animal welfare advocacy, and recognises international cosmetic safety standards and does not require additional animal testing. And int he few days I visited Hongkong back in 2011, I actually did not see any animals suffering (except the ones that are eaten like everywhere else) , no underfed sick street animals, so my personal impression regarding animal welfare was fairly good. I also wish to refer to the excellent website of the SPCA which details their comprehensive work.