Man arrested for suspected animal cruelty after 20 cats found dead in Yuen Long home

Police have arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of cruelty to animals after the bodies of 20 cats and one hamster were discovered inside a village house in San Tin, Yuen Long.

The case came to light at around 7pm on Sunday (Feb 1), when villagers in Chau Tau Tsuen reported a foul odor coming from a village house.

Officers arrived at the scene and, upon investigation, found about nine cats inside the premises, some of which were in poor health and suspected to have been improperly treated. Further searches revealed the carcasses of 20 cats and one hamster inside the unit.

Following preliminary investigations, the male occupant of the village house was arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals. He is being detained for further inquiries, and the case has been handed over to the police’s Border District Criminal Investigation Team.

All animal carcasses were removed by officers from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for examination. The nine surviving cats were taken into the care of the SPCA and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for further checks and treatment.

Police said investigations are ongoing.

(Updated 12.40pm)