BOOK CLUB

A Hong Kong Dog Story

Tom Ingram’s children’s book celebrates a Hong Kong stray who falls on his feet

What’s the book about?

A Hong Kong Dog Story is the true story of my childhood rescue dog Shep. Shep was a Hong Kong stray who became a part of our family and lived an incredible life with us first here and then in Mallorca.

Who is the book for?

This was initially a personal project, intended as a gift for my sister’s children but it became bigger when Bookazine agreed to stock the book. The story is intended for kids aged 3-7 years old but will resonate with anyone who has been blessed with a rescue dog at some point in their lives.

What’s your day job?

I’m a pilot for Cathay Pacific. Having grown up in Hong Kong, it felt natural to return and work for the airline after completing my studies in the UK. Pandemic travel restrictions have meant that I’ve had extra time on my hands of late which I’ve used to pursue new interests and finally write my book.

How was the process of publishing your first book?

Since this began as a personal project, I was looking for a very small print run. Hong Kong has some fantastic publishers but they have minimum orders. Alibaba was my solution, I was able to order just a few copies and then request reruns as needed.

You beautifully illustrate pets passing on. What’s your experience?

I hope the story illustrates what a positive influence our pets had on me as I grew

Shep was found on Sheung Sze Wan Road

up. I was nine when my first dog, Stanley, passed away. Through my grieving process Stanley became my guardian angel - always protecting us. As the actor Will Rogers said, “If there are no dogs in heaven then when I die, I want to go where they went”.

How can we help stray dogs?

Hong Kong has many great organisations that care for stray animals and are always grateful for donations of time and money. There are also some wonderful brands such as Buddy Bites, a subscription dog food company which donates a kilogram of food for every two kilograms purchased.

Buying this book also helps since we are donating all net profits to Catherine’s Puppies. Catherine and her team do such a great job caring for stray dogs and this is my way of saying thank you.

catherinespuppies.com

What’s the morale of the story?

Hold your pets a little bit tighter when you next hug them. Pets are a small part of our lives but for them, we are their whole life. Spoil them, take them on long walks, play with them until they fall asleep. I am very lucky to have a new member in my pack, a ‘Hong Kong Dog’ named Mushu, but I still think about Shep and Stanley everyday.

A Hong Kong Dog Story is priced at $120 and available from Bookazine, Etsy and Amazon.