(CN - HK) Police search hillside site of suspected dog slaughterhouse

[Guest guest]

South China Morning Post

by Colleen Lee

Oct 21, 2008

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Crime officers from Kwun Tong District are investigating a suspected Tseung

Kwan O dog abattoir uncovered by an animal welfare group, the police said.

 

Police officers, together with representatives from the Agriculture,

Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Society for the Prevention of

Cruelty to Animals, checked a hillside opposite Sheung Tak Estate yesterday,

where the Animal Life Guard Action Group found a suspected dog

slaughterhouse in a shabby single-storey house on Sunday.

 

About 20 group members found choppers, meat knives, air pistol pellets,

animal traps, hooks, a wok and bones around the house.

 

The police approached the concern group to get more information but had not

started a formal investigation, a spokesman said.

 

" The police take this matter seriously as abuse of animals is a serious

criminal offence in Hong Kong and we will investigate all reports that come

to our attention, " the spokesman said.

 

Group member Ho Loy said it would probably make a police report tomorrow

along with its informant, a Mr Chan, and take evidence from the scene.

 

Another group member, William Tung, cited Mr Chan as saying the abattoir was

operating last winter, when dog meat was in demand during the cold weather,

and that operations had resumed only recently after a gap of several months.

 

Mr Tung heard from Mr Chan that the meat was secretly sold in the wet market

at Hau Tak Shopping Centre in Tseung Kwan O to customers who knew it was

dog.

 

A Food and Environmental Hygiene Department spokesman said its officers had

not noticed any sale of dog meat in the district.

 

Mr Tung said they found two dogs outside the house and four puppies and a

dog inside when the team arrived. Two of the dogs ran away and the others

were taken to a vet in Pui O on Lantau Island, he said. Of the five dogs

they rescued, one fully grown animal had a 30cm knife scar but the puppies

were healthy.

 

Ms Ho said the group would arrange for the dogs to be adopted.

 

Mr Tung said their group was set up about six months ago to look into cases

of animal abuse and pets being abandoned.

 

It is illegal to slaughter dogs or cats for use as food or to sell their

meat. Offenders are liable to a fine of up to HK$5,000 and six months' jail.

Anyone convicted of cruelty to animals is subject to a fine of up to

HK$200,000 and up to three years in prison.

 

The SPCA said the public should not hesitate to report abuse.