Hong Kong consumer watchdog investigates pet pools’ hygiene and safety as stories of sick and dying animals emerge
- Watchdog urges customers to be cautious if pools are overcrowded because dogs may clash and pick up diseases
- Pet owners not getting information they need to make good decisions, Consumer Council says
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog on Thursday revealed that operators of 12 private dog swimming pools it investigated failed to inform customers of safety and hygiene standards, with some found to have exemption clauses to evade liabilities from accidents.
“This is vital information because it can affect the health of the dogs, but none has been disclosed in a comprehensive way and consumers have no way to judge,” vice-chairman of the council’s research and testing committee Victor Lui Wing-cheong said.
Council staff, posing as customers, had reached out to seven indoor-heated pools and five outdoor ones through social media from March to April. The watchdog said the investigation was carried out because dogs were not allowed at public beaches and there had been a trend of owners treating their pets to various luxury services.
Gilly Wong Fung-han, chief executive of the council, said the screening criteria of the tested pools included the popularity of the business and the variety of services provided.
She added that the council included indoor pools, which claimed to provide healing treatment for mature dogs.