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A lawmaker has called on authorities to tackle the smuggling of fighting dogs at the source through interdepartmental cooperation, as an animal welfare organization warned of a sharp rise in dog abandonments in recent months.
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Speaking on a radio program, Jonathan Chan Pok-chi — a Legislative Council member representing the Agriculture and Fisheries functional constituency — pointed out that illicit dog trafficking has long persisted, with unscrupulous traders frequently taking risks to help buyers bypass quarantine protocols and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) oversight.
He urged authorities to mobilize cross-departmental operations to intercept the supply chain at its origin, including deploying drones to inspect dog farms.
The AFCD recently carried out enforcement operations across several districts, intercepting three dog keepers suspected of failing to keep large dogs on leashes in public places.
Chan noted that immediate enforcement without prior warning provides a necessary deterrent, though it must be coupled with coordinated long-term deployments.
Speaking on the same program, Animal Welfare Advocacy Alliance coordinator Lau Chun-hoi noted that many pet owners overestimate their capacity to care for dogs, leading to increased abandonment.
His organization recorded at least a 50 percent increase in abandonment cases compared with the previous month, and he personally received at least 16 requests to surrender dogs recently.
Lau also expressed concern over recent AFCD enforcement actions in which officers visited homes and seized dogs following complaints regarding suspected dangerous breeds, causing widespread anxiety among pet owners.
He proposed introducing a grace period to allow owners to voluntarily declare suspected dangerous dogs, warning that abrupt seizures could cause severe psychological distress and adverse behavioral shifts in the animals.
