With the recent spell of cool weather, it's a good time to take your dog out for a nice, long walk. And if you want some company - that is, more than 1,000 dogs and their owners - the Hill's x SPCA Family Wag 'n' Walk 2012 takes place from 8am today at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Organised by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), the pet walk was previously called Dogathon, inaugurated in 1976.
Over the years, it has been held across the city, from Tai Tam Country Park and Plover Cove Country Park to Happy Valley and Sha Tin.
However, in 2009, the pet walk moved to the land of Mickey Mouse.
'When Disneyland discussed the opportunity, we took it because it was a chance to do the walk at a higher level,' says Michael Wong, deputy director of community development, overseeing fund raising, public relations, membership and education functions at the SPCA.
In the beginning, the walk consisted of 200 to 300 dogs and their owners at the country parks. In recent years, the event has grown to four times that number, with 1,000 dogs on the walk last year, Wong says.