Dozens of dogs poisoned over four years in Kwu Tung; latest six found dead near pond

A 67-year-old dog lover in the Lok Ma Chau Kwu Tung area woke up to heartbreak on Wednesday when six of his pets turned up dead beside a pond, the latest in a string of at least 40 suspected poisonings over four years that police now classify as cruel animal mistreatment.

Officers rushed to the scene after the man, surnamed Chan, reported the incident that evening, discovering the lifeless animals near a water pond in the area near his home without visible wounds or vomit—hallmarks that pointed away from natural causes. 

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department inspectors and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals staff soon joined the probe, deeming the deaths suspicious enough to warrant lab tests on the carcasses.

The pattern has plagued Chan for years, with villagers whispering that his free-roaming dogs—often wandering unchecked through hills and paths—may have irritated locals or hikers, prompting the vicious reprisals. 

Records show a grim timeline—just this April, four dogs perished from poison while two others vanished; last July, 22 more met the same fate; and back in February 2021, his seven-year-old black Labrador was allegedly slashed in the neck at a pond a mere 30 meters from home during playtime.