Police have arrested an elderly man on suspicion of animal cruelty after an injured dog was found abandoned and dead near rubbish bins in Sham Shui Po early Friday morning.
At approximately 2am today, a passerby discovered the severely injured adult Tang dog lying beside bins at the junction of Lai Chi Kok Road and Shek Kip Mei Street and immediately alerted the authorities.
Upon arrival, police officers observed the dog was still exhibiting faint signs of life and promptly contacted the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for assistance.
However, the dog succumbed to its injuries and passed away before SPCA personnel could provide aid.
A preliminary examination indicated that the dog had sustained significant injuries to its leg.
Further investigation led officers to a trail of blood that traced back to a residential building on Lai Chi Kok Road.
Officers traced the blood to a specific unit within the building and located the dog's owner, an elderly man.
According to police information, the elderly man had previously adopted the dog and reportedly kept it as a free-roaming animal on the building's rooftop.
Investigators stated the man claimed that in the early hours of this morning, he found the dog severely injured and weak. He allegedly believed the animal was already dead and proceeded to drag it down to the street, abandoning it beside the rubbish bins.
This revelation prompted police to classify the case as animal cruelty. The elderly man was arrested at his residence and taken to a police station for further questioning.
The SPCA has taken custody of the dog's body to conduct a post-mortem examination. This will help determine the exact cause of death and further details about the injuries, aiding in the ongoing investigation.
