The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) on Friday said many of the suspected animal-cruelty reports they had received turned out to have been nothing of the sort as they were sparked by pets and their owners being a nuisance to neighbours or posing hygiene issues.

This came after the Ombudsman found that AFCD staff had often abandoned follow-up action when they were unable to gain access to homes in which pets were kept.

Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, AFCD assistant director for inspection and quarantine, Jackie Yip, said there had been a rise in reports in recent years amid growing public concern over animal welfare.

“Of the hundreds of cases every year that we investigated, a significant proportion involved nuisance or hygiene issues caused by the animals to neighbours,” she said.

“Often such issues did not necessarily involve animal cruelty."

Yip said staff would be on the lookout for signs of cruelty or neglect even if they were unable to inspect the condition of a pet.

“Even if we don't see the animal, staff will be alert for clues – such as by listening for any barks near a residence, whether there is a strange sound, or even, based on our experience, a foul smell coming from the flat that might indicate poor hygiene or rotten food," she said.

"These are signs of a problem.

“At the same time, even if we can't immediately locate the homeowner, staff will attempt to speak to neighbours, the building or estate managers and security guards, et cetera, as well as government departments to see if they have any information.”

If staff are unable to get in touch with the pet owners or gather any conclusive evidence that points either way, they will decide whether or not to end the probe based on the information they have so far, Yip added, stressing that each case is unique.

The AFCD will look into stepping up the penalty for the illegal possession and use of animal traps following the Ombudsman’s findings that the existing fine of HK$50,000 did not pose a sufficient deterrence.

Staff will also strengthen intelligence-gathering and inspection operations, as well as deploy technology, such as drones, to step up law enforcement, Yip said.

Animal Welfare Advocacy Alliance co-ordinator Lau Chun-hoi suggested on the same show that the government should impose a “duty of care” on owners by amending animal-cruelty legislation to require them to ensure that pets are given appropriate diets and care, such as taking them to vets when they are ill.

He also said there needed to be tougher punishment for abuse cases to enhance the deterrent effect.

Animal Rights and Welfare Association founder Susan Lai told RTHK that the AFCD should have looked into amending existing legislation to grant staff access to homes earlier instead of only doing so following the Ombudsman's investigation.

"If that is such a severe and frequently occurring issue, shouldn't the AFCD have proactively communicated with the relevant judicial bodies much earlier to explore the possibility of legislative amendments?" she said.

"This demonstrates a lack of necessary proactivity and foresight from government departments in addressing such a clear systematic problem prior to [the] Ombudsman's intervention. Without this investigation, this critical enforcement loophole would likely have continued to be muddled through, allowing animal abusers to evade justice."



Edited by Tony Sabine