Pets policy gives paws for thought

They are known as the 'pending rooms', but the purpose of these cramped and noisy quarters for Hong Kong's discarded pets is clear. This is where hundreds of dogs are brought every month to die after being given up by their owners.

'We see people who break down in tears and have to be helped by their families,' said Doreen Davies, executive director of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) which manages the kennels.

'Quite often, one member of the family is particularly attached to the animal. There is no point in us saying 'look, we can find a home for your pet'. There is no hope.

'Our counter staff are very young and they are not used to dealing with people who are so emotionally upset. Unfortunately, we have had so many coming in that we are not able to sit down and counsel people.' Four months after the Government slapped a ban on the keeping of pets in Housing Authority flats, owners are inundating charities with the dogs they can no longer keep. Every day for the past two months, more than 20 dogs have been surrendered to the RSPCA. The ban, which followed the killing of a baby by a dog earlier this year, means up to 2.7 million tenants are prohibited from sharing their living space with a dog.

'There was an outcry from tenants who said we should step up our action,' said Fannie Kong Shuk-fun, a Housing Department spokesman. Single warning letters are issued to residents and if those who fail to comply are given 14 days' notice to leave their flats. So far, the department has issued 3,450 warning letters and issued 21 'notices to quit'. Animal rights groups have slammed the policy, calling it callous, tragic and unforgivable.

Faced with putting down their pets, desperate owners are seeking extreme alternatives. Insiders hint darkly at 'de-barking operations'. Dogs are being hidden in tiny spaces, turfed out, housed with friends or even sent to pet shops to escape the inevitable.