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Police arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of animal cruelty after more than 10 cats were discovered locked inside a filthy storage room at Wu Boon House of Tuen Mun’s Wu King Estate on Saturday.
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The felines - reportedly left without food for days - were found in a feces-covered, ammonia-filled storage unit with no ventilation or lighting.
Horrific conditions spark outrage
At around 9.41am, officers received reports from volunteers of an animal welfare group of a suspected animal abuse case in a ground-floor storage room at Wu Boon House, managed by an outsourced cleaning contractor for the Housing Department.
Upon opening the sealed door, at least 11 to 12 cats rushed out, many with inflamed eyes and poor skin condition.
The volunteers told police officers and reporters that they had monitored the site for five days prior, placing toothpicks on the door to confirm no one had entered.
"The stench of ammonia was overpowering, and the cats were starving, fighting over food we pushed through the door gaps," said volunteer Kent, who helped report the case. "The room was littered with feces, with only a dirty water bowl left inside."
Residents blame Housing Department for inaction
Neighbors claim complaints about the cats - some seen roaming the estate since early this year - were ignored. Some suspect illegal breeding for profit, as the owner allegedly refused to neuter the felines.
"This isn’t just about keeping a few pets, it’s deliberate neglect in a public storage space," said one resident. "The Housing Department turned a blind eye despite multiple reports."
Officers from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals responded to the scene and assisted in assessing the cats’ health, with the cats later taken away by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for examination.
The cleaning contractor who managed the storage room was later arrested and taken into a police station for questioning.
