For Fung, an elderly patient who has spent the past three months at Hong Kong’s Caritas Medical Centre, one of her greatest wishes is to see her beloved cat, Silver, again.
“I miss Silver very much,” Fung said. “My daughter shows me videos, but if I can see her in person, I can hug and kiss her and say goodbye. It will be a precious memory.”
To make moments like this possible, the Hospital Authority (HA) announced on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, that it would allow special arrangements for palliative care patients to spend time with their pet cats and dogs. The move is part of the government’s push for a more pet-friendly Hong Kong, adopting a more humane and flexible approach to allow pet visits to wards, especially for patients with impaired mobility.
Dr. Annie Kwok Oi-ling, chairwoman of the HA’s palliative care central committee, said, “Pets are no longer considered just animals but are family members who provide crucial emotional support.” She added that hospitals would assess each case individually, taking into account the patient’s and pet’s health, as well as the size of the pet, to arrange for patients to meet their pets as soon as possible.
She also recalled a case in which a late-stage patient in her seventies said her final wish was to see her toy poodle. “We arranged for the meeting in a private room so she could spent half an hour with her dog” she said. The woman passed away within a week.
Alongside personal pet visits, Hong Kong’s public hospitals also run an ongoing scheme where a team of about 200 volunteer “pet doctors” regularly interact with patients, which has shown positive results.
One of them is “Dr. Goofy,” a 13-year-old pug mix. Goofy and his owner, Angela, volunteer through the Doctor Pet group, which partners with the Hospital Authority.
“They are assessed on their behaviour around other pets, strangers, and how well they respond to commands,” Angela explained. “These pet doctors provide positivity and emotional comfort, and sometimes even improve patients’ conditions.”
Over the past two years, the program has arranged around 50 animal visits to geriatric, paediatric, and palliative care wards. Dr. Kwok said these visits have become a highlight for patients, families, and staff alike.
“There’s more laughter, and the pets become a new topic of conversation for patients, their family members, and our staff,” she said. “When pets visit, family members will photograph them together, becoming a precious memory in their final moments of life.”
For now, Fung continues to spend time with Goofy, who helps fill the void left by Silver’s absence.