Editorial | Animal welfare is still a work in progress in Hong Kong
- The arrest of a woman after 32 cats and one dog were found crammed into a public housing flat with poor hygiene has shocked not just pet lovers
Hong Kong’s compact living space might have made pet ownership more challenging. However, that does not stop a growing number of residents from keeping dogs and cats at home.
To what extent it will cross the line of animal cruelty is arguably a matter of judgment. But when dozens of furry friends are crammed into a public housing flat with poor hygiene, something is clearly amiss.
The arrest of a 41-year-old woman for alleged animal abuse has shocked not just pet lovers. When the police arrived after midnight at Fu Shin Estate in Tai Po following neighbours’ concerns over foul smell, they found 32 cats and one dog inside the unit.
Five of the felines were in poor health while another kitten was found dead. “The cats and the dog were freely moving around inside the premises without being caged. The flat is messy with animal waste scattered around,” a police source said.
According to a district councillor who is familiar with the situation, the animals were taken to the flat after the woman’s pet shop shut down.
The nuisance caused by the animals has already prompted the estate management office and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to intervene on several occasions; but there was no one to answer the door.
