Amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance will be introduced in phases due to a lack of societal consensus, according to Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan.
This came after the Office of the Ombudsman last month pointed to insufficient enforcement in a direct investigation into the government's work in combating animal cruelty.
Speaking at the Legislative Council this morning, Tse acknowledged public concerns over animal welfare but flagged divided opinions on penalty levels and enforcement powers among stakeholders. He cited instances where some pet owners voiced concerns that small living spaces would violate the law, while others feared that stricter rules might lead to a rise in pet abandonments.
Acknowledging there is currently no societal consensus, he noted that the reforms will be handled in stages, with the next phase of work to be announced within the year.
Under the current procedure, he explained that police handle emergency cases as first responders, while non-emergency cases — such as insufficient food supply to pets — are handled by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) through the "1823" hotline.
Tse confirmed that the department has accepted all recommendations from the Ombudsman and is actively implementing improvements.
Regarding a recent case involving local secondary school students, allegedly a key member of a mainland cat abuse group, Tse stated that cross-department collaboration has been stepped up to enhance education.
He added that the AFCD also offers free educational talks in schools annually, believing enhanced promotion and education could boost animal welfare awareness.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
