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SCMP Reporter

Q Should efforts be stepped up to catch the Mid-Levels dog poisoner?

I am writing on behalf of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Hong Kong (SPCA) in response to a letter  published in Talkback last Friday.

The SPCA has since 2001 been engaged with the Hong Kong police, private investigators and a security company on cases of dog poisoning. Undercover people have been rostered to keep watch during times of likely poisoning.  Due to the undercover nature, the general public would not be necessarily aware of the presence of such operations. Notices inviting the general public to provide input have been put up on nearby premises as well as in private veterinary clinics.

It is unfair to suggest the society has not been actively taking action.

The SPCA has no legal powers, but it has been involved with the Happy Valley police station and private investigators and individuals on the occurrences of previous dog poisoning cases.

The Hong Kong police have  been seen to be diligent in the matter.

However, round-the-clock monitoring of  Bowen Road, Blacks Link and other areas prone to dog poisoning is not possible. The SPCA stresses that this is not just an SPCA matter. Everyone  should be vigilant in trying  to catch this sick individual.

The letter writer claimed the 'SPCA failed to take action after learning the location of this particular incident' and is 'surprised and furious to learn that the SPCA is now taking a sudden interest in the Mid-Levels dog poisoning incidents'.

The writer does not have all the facts. The SPCA is always concerned with animal welfare.

We are most alarmed with the easy access to poisons that can be used for such purposes. The SPCA urges the review and tightening of pharmacy regulations controlling poisonous substances.

The SPCA also strongly urges dog owners to take necessary prevention measures.

Pauline Taylor, executive director, SPCA

The mountain paths of Hong Kong are a sanctuary for thousands of elderly people who rise before the sun and climb up the hills.

They find their favourite spot, greeting their friends along the way, and conduct a regime of exercises ranging from gardening to tai chi.

On early runs, I have noticed that quite a few take off their shoes and conduct their exercises bare-footed.

These paths are sacred to them and an extension of their home, which for many do not constitute more than a bed in a shared room.

Dog owners have to understand that they share their mountain paths with people who consider them an extension of their living rooms. And who wants to live in a public toilet?

On one out of five runs, the foul smell of dog faeces stays with me. With daybreak it is hard to detect the unwanted piles in time.

Without accusing anyone, we can arrest a thousand elderly people because one of them is really sick and tired of people fouling their  sacred sites, or dog owners can clean up after each other.

Before we start yelling at the domestic helpers who always walk the dogs, from what I can tell, they are the ones that do clean up after their charges. None of this is a justification for leaving poison around, but a better understanding of whose doorstep you are  fouling may help to resolve the ongoing saga.

Paul Zimmerman, Mid-Levels

Q Is it a good idea to wrap the TST clock tower in a giant shopping bag?

Wrapping the clock tower in a shopping bag is either an excellent concept or an icon for activists who feel that developers and the Urban Renewal Authority are snapping up valuable scenic and historical sites for a bargain.

This concept has no appeal for tourists. Instead, money would be better spent on half-page or full-page advertisements in leading newspapers in America, Australia, Europe and Japan, orchestrated by airlines, hotels and trade development offices worldwide. This would have been more effective in bringing in big-spending tourists  to Hong Kong, which as we all know is one of the few terrorist-free zones.

Nalini Daswani, Tsim Sha Tsui

Q Should the government press ahead with its super-jail plan?

The timing of the discussion for a super-jail (easily accessible by trucks) close to June 4, and after Beijing reinterpreted the Basic Law couldn't be more strange.

Why do we need a super-jail? What if we put the $12 billion-plus operation costs into education instead to:

Reduce class sizes;

Employ more teachers and school psychologists;

Train parents in raising children; and

Increase co-operation between schools and parents.

Prevention is cheaper than detection and detention, but requires more brain and commitment.

Andreas Renn, Sai Kung

On other matters ...

I fully agree with Rennie Marques and Jonathan Man   regarding the senseless death of two year-old Ng Wing Sum, who was beaten by her parents and eventually died of her injuries. What kind of beast would do that to a defenseless child? Two weeks ago, a similar case was reported in Singapore. A man was jailed for 20 years and sentenced to 12 strokes of the cane for killing the seven-year-old son of his girlfriend.

Over a period of six months, the boy was beaten daily and subjected to other forms of torture.  The man thoroughly deserved the  sentence   meted out. Although much has been said about Singapore's laws being too strict, I think in this case, the sentence was not considered harsh.

William Sim, Ap Lei Chau

I refer to  Paul Fonoroff's article on Thursday  regarding legendary actress Wei Wei.

In my opinion, Wei Wei is the Marlene Dietrich of the Orient. Her soft-spoken voice and reserved acting expression is something that is missing in today's cinema. It is always a surprise to  still see her making cameo appearances.

Her artistic name, Wei Wei,  had to do with yelling to tricycle drivers in Shanghai because  wei wei meant 'hello, hello' - to get drivers' attention.

Allen Chen, Tsim Sha Tsui



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