Talking Points: Should the government spend money on creating more pet-friendly spaces?
Hate it when you can't talk back? Well, you can withYoung Post. Have your say and share with students around Hong Kong
Tracy Yau, 16, Sacred Heart Canossian College
Creating more pet-friendly spaces is a waste of time and money. Hong Kong is already facing a lot of problems, such as high pollution, a housing shortage and a widening wealth gap. So the government should build more flats, give more money to the poor, and take steps to protect our environment.
There are so many country parks in Hong Kong. People can take their pets to those parks or other open areas. Pet owners can also take this opportunity to get close to nature, and pass on the message of environmental conservation to their family and friends.
We definitely don't need any more pet-friendly spaces.
Naz Iraj, 17, St Margaret's Girls' College, Hong Kong
Yes! Hong Kong is home to many animal-lovers and pet-owners, so the city badly needs more pet-friendly places. Keeping pets helps people lower their stress levels and makes them happy. For that to happen, the pets need to be healthy as well, so staying at home isn't going to help.
Most housing estates and public places such as shopping malls and sports venues do not allow pets, so where are they supposed to go? The least the government can do is to set up a park for pets in every housing estate.
Michael Kwok, 14, Law Ting Pong Secondary School
There's no doubt the government should spend money on creating more pet-friendly spaces. It's important that the animals are not left at home all the time. They need some exercise - this means somewhere to play around and interact with other pets.
The owners will be happy when they see that their pets are enjoying life. The happier the people are, the better it is for Hong Kong. The city can then reap the benefits of having a productive work force.
Roanna Ng Sheung-ling, 15, SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School
In Hong Kong, there are many open areas where people can walk their pets, such as Ma On Shan's waterfront promenade, the pet garden in Quarry Bay, and Cyberport's dog park. During weekends and weekday evenings, dozens of pet owners can be seen having a good time with their "best friends" at these venues.
As a see it, there is no shortage of pet-friendly places in Hong Kong. Instead the government should focus on social issues like the housing problem. It is high time they built more flats and introduced new policies to help narrow the wealth gap and improve people's living standards.
Keefe Chan, 15, SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School
Some say that the government should spend money on creating more pet-friendly spaces. I disagree. Most importantly, we do not have the space to build more pet-friendly areas in Hong Kong. If there is a vacant lot, new flats should be built there, rather than setting up a play area for pets. Hong Kong has a serious housing problem so it's the government's responsibility to do something about it.
Moreover, it is not worth spending money to cater to pets and their owners when thousands of Hongkongers are struggling to make a living. I think the money would be better spent helping the poor and raising their standard of living.
Tell us what you think in the comment box below.
You're welcome to join the conversation. In our next Talking Points, we'll discuss:
Do you think the new two-child policy is a good thing?
We are now accepting answers from readers for this new topic. To take part, email your answer with your name, age and school, along with a nice, clear selfie (make sure it's not blurry), to [email protected] by Monday lunchtime next week.