The District Court ruled on 12 October 2026 that a worker injured in a dog attack at Kelly Animals Shelter Company Limited was an employee, and ordered the company to pay about HK$89,000 in compensation, plus interest and legal costs.
The company had argued that she was a volunteer and denied paying her. It said any money she received came from donations by volunteers who saw she was struggling financially.
The worker had volunteered at the shelter from June 2022. In September, after learning it wanted full-time and part-time kennel-care staff, she contacted the shelter through another volunteer. She and a staff member discussed the arrangements and agreed on daily pay of HK$800.
The judge found that the shelter arranged and controlled her workdays, hours and duties. Work plans were discussed on WhatsApp, and she was added to a group for part-time kennel staff. The judge concluded that she followed work allocated by the shelter, rather than managing the work herself or sharing the business’s profits and risks.
On 16 November 2022, while using a barrier to move dogs back into a kennel, she was attacked. She suffered bites to her face and hands, and her right little finger was nearly broken. She spent four days in hospital and continued to receive orthopaedic treatment and physical therapy.
The judge accepted evidence that she also saw a clinical psychologist and psychiatrist and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She received vaccine injections after the attack.