The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said on Monday that two of the three stray dogs captured during an overnight operation in Yuen Long have microchips.

The three dogs are believed to be linked to a fatal attack on a 27-year-old woman on Pok Wai South Road on Saturday night.

Officers said they are trying to contact the owners, who may be prosecuted if there is enough evidence to suggest that they had failed to fulfill their responsibilities.

Meanwhile, the AFCD conducted another joint operation with the police on Pok Wai South Road in the afternoon, and identified one stray dog that they have so far been unable to capture.

Apart from patrolling nearby villages, the team also checked the microchips of dogs kept by warehouses and logistics firms.

Roundtable lawmaker Mark Chong has called on the government to consider restricting the feeding of stray dogs.

"We often see well-meaning residents, volunteers and local workers leaving food for stray and village dogs. But unmanaged feeding creates serious safety risks. Regular feeding causes stray dogs to form packs – many dogs go together and defend their territories aggressively and reproduce rapidly," he said.

"So I think compassion must be paired with responsible management. Otherwise, well-intentioned feeding will increase the pet size and also the danger of the neighborhood."

Yuen Long district councillor Allan Wong, for his part, believes the latest dog attack was an isolated case.

He said owners who abandon their pets should be held legally liable.

"I think the government should take strong enforcement actions to hold the dog keepers accountable if animals are abandoned," he said.

"The entire society should criticise such irresponsible behaviour, as the cause of the abandonment and risks to the public safety are borne [by] all."


Edited by Priscilla Ng