The limited space in Hong Kong makes keeping pets more difficult. However, this does not stop more and more residents from keeping dogs and cats at home.
To what extent this crosses the line into animal cruelty is a matter of judgement, but when dozens of furry friends are crammed into a social housing complex with poor hygiene, something is clearly not right.
The arrest of a 41-year-old woman for alleged animal cruelty has shocked more than just animal lovers. When police arrived at Fu Shin Estate in Tai Po after midnight after neighbors complained of bad smells, they found 32 cats and a dog in the apartment.
Five of the cats were in poor health, and another kitten was found dead. “The cats and the dog were able to move freely around the property without being locked up. The apartment is messy and there is animal droppings everywhere,” a police source said.
According to a district councilor familiar with the situation, the animals were brought into the apartment after the woman’s pet shop closed.
Because of the nuisance caused by the animals, the estate administration and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Nature Conservation have been asked several times to intervene, but no one came to the door.
Currently, animal cruelty is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of HK$200,000. Repeated violations involving unlicensed pets and other offences can also lead to termination of tenancy in a public housing unit.
Even though the woman reportedly purchased the apartment under the tenant purchase program, she may still have violated the public deed prohibiting pet ownership.
Admittedly, not everyone treats animals the same. But few would tolerate or accept animal cruelty in any form. Even in the less serious case of neglect, the harm inflicted on the victim can be severe or even fatal.
In May, a fire raged in a public housing complex in Kwai Tsui Estate in Kwai Chung, killing a dog, two cats, three birds and a marten.
The repeated emergence of such news is a sad reminder that animal welfare is still a work in progress in Hong Kong society.
