An animal welfare group is looking for homes for more than 140 pedigree dogs rescued in a raid on a suspected illegal dog breeding centre.
The dogs were discovered living outside, cooped up in filthy, cramped metal cages with very little shelter from the weather in Lau Fau Shan, in the New Territories, six months ago.
Some of the dogs were pregnant, others diseased, while some showed signs of being confined to cages for years with matted coats, bad teeth and deformed paws. They were all contained in small wire cages.
Dr Fiona Woodhouse, a vet who helped to clean up and treat the dogs, said some may have had their vocal cords cut to stop them from barking. 'A lot of them showed signs of long-term caging with inflamed feet and long nails. They looked like they hadn't been on a solid floor for a while,' she said. 'Although there were no puppies on site, we strongly suspect they were being bred, because why would anyone keep such a large quantity of pedigree dogs in such conditions?'
Woodhouse, deputy director of welfare at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said the dogs had medical problems associated with a low level of care and neglect. They are aged from two to eight years and include poodles, chihuahuas, corgis, huskies, dachshunds, schnauzers and bulldogs.
They were rescued by the SPCA, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and the police last September. But the dogs could not be put up for adoption until the owner appeared in court. Two people faced charges in connection with the dogs. A woman who was looking after the dogs was bound over by the court in March after the prosecution offered no evidence.