Dog owners have been warned that enforcement action will be taken without prior warning if they fail to keep their pets under control during special inspection and enforcement operations across Hong Kong beginning on Sunday.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will conduct special operations on Sunday and on Sept 5 and 6 to raise awareness of public safety and reduce the risk of dog attacks following a spate of recent incidents arising from improper dog control. In one incident, the owner of a pet training facility was mauled to death.
“During these operations, officers will step up inspections and enforcement at public places where dogs congregate,” a department spokesman said.
Officers will also distribute educational materials to promote responsible pet ownership and explain statutory requirements to residents.
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The department said properly control of dogs in public places isn’t only a legal requirement – it’ll help safeguard public and animal safety.
The moves follow a spate of canine attacks in various parts of Hong Kong – the latest at a restaurant in Stanley district when AFCD officers seized a fighting dog after conducting an inspection in response to a complaint.
An unleashed five-year-old mixed-breed Spanish mastiff named Larry, weighing about 50 kilograms, went on a rampage near Yoho Mall in Yuen Long district on Aug 17, fatally mauling a poodle and a Bichon Frise. The dog’s 52-year-old keeper was arrested and charged with failing to properly control his pet.
Three days later, the owner of a licensed pet hotel and dog training center on Ping Yuen Road, Ta Kwu Ling, was killed in a brutal attack by a one-year-old male dog she had been caring for. Closed-circuit television footage showed the victim feeding a yellow mixed-breed dog, about one meter in length, before trying to take it back to its cage. The dog attacked and bit her.
The incidents have prompted calls for stricter enforcement of leash laws, particularly for large dogs. Under the Rabies Ordinance, all dogs must be kept on a leash or otherwise under control in public places. The Dangerous Dogs Regulation also stipulates that large dogs weighing 20kg or more must be securely held on a leash no longer than two meters by a person when in public areas.
Legislator Judy Chan has urged the government to introduce stricter regulations for animal care centers and improve microchipping requirements. While the city already mandates microchipping for dogs, she said the system could be more effective if enhanced.
“It’ll enable people, vets or anyone to identify the breed of the dog and where the dog comes from. I think it’s very important to strengthen such regulation,” she said.
