Man held after dog dies in small cage

A 39-year-old man has been arrested for animal cruelty after his pet poodle was found dead in a cage on a Sham Shui Po rooftop yesterday.

The dog's coat had been dyed pink and it had been left in a tiny cage that was exposed to the elements on the roof of a six-storey apartment block on Tai Po Road, police said. The cage was surrounded by rubbish, they said.

"It was in a small cage. The dog could only move forwards and backwards. There was no room for it to turn around," a police officer said.

"We believe the dog was last given food and water on Thursday, and the owner hadn't gone near it since then."

It is understood that the adult male poodle was unwell and had been left on the roof because the owner didn't want his two other dogs - a husky and a golden retriever - to fall ill.

The officer also said the dog's owner had not taken it to a vet.