(HK) Talkback: Should repeat animal abusers be barred from owning pets?

[Guest guest]

South China Morning Post

CITY 2008-02-21

 

Talkback The E-mail Forum

 

Should repeat animal abusers be barred from owning pets?

 

As a veterinary student studying in Britain, there is a marked difference

there in terms of animal welfare when compared with Hong Kong. Many of the

animal abuse incidents I see in " Asia's World City " are simply unacceptable,

and it saddens me that some people still take them lightly and even regard

them as a fact of life.

 

Although the situation is improving, there is still a tremendous amount the

government can do to improve animal welfare, and by that I'm not just

referring to dogs and cats - I'm including exotic animals (i.e. hamsters and

reptiles) and even those wandering stray cows.

 

Educating people (including children) in proper animal husbandry and

handling is more important than we think, and many cases that I see in

veterinary clinics are due to the misconceptions of owners, from improper

feeding (puppies and kittens are often underfed) to casually giving human

medications to pets (like paracetamol).

 

Yes, these are not the most gruesome things that often appear in the

newspapers, but it is more common than people are aware. The government

needs to work closely with vets and animal rights groups, and not just sit

on their backside until they are up to their neck in protest letters. Even

simple information leaflets would be a great start.

 

And then there are the pet shops. I have lost count of the number of sick

animals I have seen in these places. The joke that street animals are

probably healthier than those in pet shops is often not far from the truth.

There needs to be stricter legislation over welfare standards in these

shops, as well as restrictions on what they can do, such as dispensing

medication and docking tails of puppies.

 

Betty Chow, Edinburgh