New animal welfare law must have bite
- Sickening cruelty case involving about 150 cats and dogs illustrates the need for updated legislation and the will to impose maximum penalties on offenders
A horrendous animal cruelty case late last month is an urgent reminder of the need to overhaul Hong Kong’s outdated animal welfare law. The government has been dragging its feet for years. At least now, Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee, secretary for food and health, deserves credit for finally doing what should have been done long ago: a comprehensive legal tightening to ensure better protection for pets and animals.
Terrible animal cruelty and abuse exists. In the two-day operation at a ramshackle so-called animal shelter in Ta Kwu Ling, a quarter of about 150 dogs and cats were found to have been starved to death. Many of the 74 dogs and 36 cats saved were reduced to skeletons. A 62-year-old man, reportedly the shelter’s manager, was arrested. Large bags of pet food were found unopened. If ever abusers deserve a deterrent jail sentence, it is those responsible for running the site.
The proposed revamped law spells out the duty of care for pet owners, keepers and breeders, as well as workers handling live animals in places such as wet markets. These include walking dogs regularly, vaccinating pets, and taking sick animals to the vet under a code of practice. Authorities will also be given extra powers to intervene in suspected abuse cases, including those of inspection and supervision. Equally important is the plan to increase penalties such as the current jail terms from a maximum of three years to a range of four to 10 years.
A three-month public consultation launched by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department runs until the end of July. The new measures are expected to come into force in 2021.
Between 2016 and 2018, there were 47 successful convictions for animal cruelty, with the heaviest jail sentence being 16 months. Critics and animal welfare activists have long observed that prosecutors are often reluctant to pursue criminal charges and, that even if they reach the court, judges often impose lenient sentences. It is rare for the maximum penalty to be imposed. To be effective, the revamped laws must aim to make pet owners and keepers more responsible, and judges and prosecutors have to treat animal abuse cases more seriously than simply giving offenders a slap on the wrist.
