Hong Kong’s animal welfare laws fail to meet modern demands, expe

Hong Kong authorities are preparing to review whether penalties for pet abandonment should be strengthened, with suggestions expected to be brought to the Legislative Council by the end of the year, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said on Wednesday.

The move follows calls from legal experts who say the city’s animal welfare laws are no longer “fit for purpose” for issues involving pet abandonment and strays.

Long-delayed reforms face renewed pressure

Legal experts have urged authorities to expedite long-delayed reforms to Hong Kong’s ordinances after a spate of dog attacks in recent months.

The laws under scrutiny include the Protection of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance and Dangerous Dogs Regulations, which have drawn intense public attention after a string of recent incidents.

Those incidents include the suspected fatal mauling of a woman by stray dogs in Yuen Long last Saturday.

The calls for reform echo Tse’s comments that authorities would examine whether existing penalties for pet abandonment should be strengthened.

Focus remains on cruelty

“Hong Kong’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance … remains fundamentally focused on prohibiting acts of cruelty,” said Kim McCoy, a practising barrister and founder of the Hong Kong Animal Law and Protection Organisation.

McCoy’s comment reflects a central concern raised by legal experts: that the current framework is being tested by abandonment and stray-related issues beyond its main focus on cruelty.

The debate has gained urgency because the same laws are now being examined in the context of recent dog attacks and public scrutiny over how Hong Kong manages strays and dangerous dogs.

Tse said suggestions would be brought to the Legislative Council by the end of the year.

Source: South China Morning Post