We have all heard of a car wash fundraiser, but Animals Asia organised its very first “Dog Wash”, not only to raise much needed funds for the organisation and the Moon Bears, but also to generate awareness of the issue within schools across Hong Kong.

Students aged 8-12 years were invited to participate in this event together with a group of friends. Groups acted as ambassadors for Animals Asia, spread the message of love and compassion to all animals.

The dog wash event was very kindly sponsored by Whiskers and Paws, as students arrived in their groups and enjoyed the outdoor terrace where Animals Asia therapy dogs were waiting to get scrubbed up!

Students had to first learn about the dog they were about to wash, learning about its daily activities, any particularly sensitive areas on the body, and how to safely approach a dog for the first time. Each group was then given $300 of monopoly money and asked to “shop” for the appropriate items they needed to wash their dog depending on its needs at the Whiskers and Paws “dog wash dog shop”!

Dogs were then groomed to remove excess fur, had their teeth brushed, and finally washed thoroughly! All of our Animals Asia therapy dogs enjoyed what can only be referred to as an hour-long dog massaging session!

Animals Asia volunteers were observing which teams were the most mindful, gentle and worked well together. At the end of the wash, teams received awards for the best washed dog, most gentle with their dog, and best team spirit.

Every single student demonstrated compassion and practiced great team work in order to make the dog as happy and comfortable as possible, as well as having a great time!

Having had this important interaction with the dogs themselves, these students will now continue to act as ambassadors for animals and pass on the message of respect for all living creatures.

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