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The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has confiscated a dozen dogs from a rural shelter in Kam Sheung Road after the animals were discovered trapped in outdoor cages and exposed to heavy rain, prompting animal welfare advocates to call for a more thorough investigation into the facility's operator.
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Following public reports regarding the poor living conditions at the dog shelter on Tsing Tam Road in Yuen Kong San Tsuen, government officials intervened on Friday.
The department reported that the person in charge failed to make immediate and reasonable improvements to the site. As a result, personnel removed 12 dogs from the premises and transferred them to an Animal Management Centre for proper care, adding that they will pursue prosecution against those responsible if sufficient evidence is established.
The official seizure occurred just days after a thwarted joint inspection attempted by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals alongside police and government officials.
The animal charity reported that when the agencies arrived at the corrugated iron-fenced facility on Wednesday afternoon, the operator initially ignored knocks from the police.
While the person in charge eventually answered a phone call from agriculture officials, they requested time to prepare and explicitly barred the charity's inspectors from entering the site.
Animal welfare officers were forced to wait outside for nearly three hours, able to hear dogs barking but unable to visually assess the animals' health or the internal environment.
The charity noted that the operator of the Kam Sheung Road site is also responsible for another animal facility in Yuen Long known as the "520 Dog Support."
The organization confirmed it has received multiple public complaints concerning both locations and has been actively urging relevant government departments to launch a deeper, coordinated investigation into the operations.
Following the removal of the animals, the charity expressed relief that the dogs were rescued before suffering further from the severe weather.
The organization stated it welcomes the government's ongoing probe into the shelter and strongly urged officials to facilitate future joint inspections, which would allow their inspectors to provide professional expertise on animal welfare and help ease mounting public concerns.
