Animal cruelty in Hong Kong must be tackled with education and a targeted task force

I refer to the article, “Call for action on animal cruelty after dog killings”, (April 9). It is heartbreaking to read of animal cruelty becoming increasingly prevalent in Hong Kong, with the latest cases involving pets being poisoned or thrown from the roof of a high-rise building.

Not only do these chilling episodes set off alarm bells among pet owners, they also hint at a wider and more troubling pattern of animal cruelty. It is a shame that many cases of animal cruelty may have even gone unreported.

10 turtles stabbed with pencils at Hong Kong hospital pond, leaving 6 dead

The controversy over the dog meat festival in mainland China shows animal cruelty is unacceptable to most people. I believe the continued existence of animal abuse could be attributed to a lack of deterrents.

Apart from advancing laws on animal protection, policymakers must recognise that the lack of a proper task force on animal welfare and not enough education on the matter play a part, too. Let’s hope the government can take concrete action to address the issue.

Samuel Cheng, Sai Kung