The calls came as the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department prepares to tighten the trade this month by specifying that all dogs sold in Hong Kong must come from legal importers or the city's licensed animal traders.

At the same time, the department plans to raise the maximum penalty for anyone selling pets without a licence from HK$2,000 to HK$100,000.

These measures are included in a series of amendments to the animal trading regulation that will be proposed to the Legislative Council in November in an effort to fight the problem of animal smuggling.

The new policies have drawn strong opposition from pet shops, however, who are worried they will be unable to continue selling puppies and kittens from hobby breeders.

Chan Chow-pui, chairman of the Hong Kong Pet Trade Association, said the government's proposal, if it became effective, would deal a severe blow to the pet-trading industry. 'There's almost no way for hobby breeders to acquire licences, as most breed puppies and kittens at home instead of on commercial premises as required by the government.'

He added that locally bred pets were usually of good health and much cheaper than imported animals of the same breed.

According to official statistics, around 14,000 puppies are sold in Hong Kong every year, yet not a single breeding kennel has registered with the department so far.

It is believed most are imported illegally from the mainland, where rabies kills thousands of people every year.

Mr Chan said an identification system for locally bred pets could help solve the problem. It would require dog and cat breeders to take photos of their animals, implant microchips and vaccinate puppies and kittens.

'An identification system will help the government to distinguish them from smuggled animals, as it is easy to acquire detailed breeding information through microchips implanted in the animals.'

He said the association had collected opinions from local pet shops and pet product wholesalers, and would talk to the department later.

Legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip said he would not like to see a wave of animals being abandoned as a result of the government's proposal if hobby breeders were prohibited from selling their puppies and kittens.

'It's not justified for the government to block hobby breeders from selling their animals,' he said.

'We have seen many dogs and cats bred by the city's hobby breeders win top prizes in international pet shows. They are just like the athletes winning a reputation for Hong Kong. It would be a pity if the industry shrinks due to the government's over-regulated policy.'

Man's best friends

About 14,000 puppies a year are sold in Hong Kong

The approximate number supplied by hobby breeders 1,400