More than 11,000 people sign petition calling on Hong Kong to drop cull of hamsters over Covid-19 fears
- Announcement that dozens of pet stores selling the rodents must also temporarily close leaves other animal owners scrambling for supplies
- Animal welfare group says it has been flooded with calls asking for information about abandoning hamsters
The surprise announcement on Tuesday also left some residents scrambling to buy enough food for their animals after some pet shops closed early for deep cleaning, while an animal welfare group said it had been flooded with calls asking for information about getting rid of hamsters.
Authorities asked pet shops and owners to hand over about 2,000 hamsters imported since December 22 for euthanisation and temporarily suspended imports of small animals as a measure to stop any possible animal-to-human transmission risk of Covid-19.
A change.org petition titled “Stop the Government from Wrongfully Euthanising Little Boss’ Small Pets” expressed outrage over the move.
“Every pet owner knows that their pet’s lives are just as important as their own, yet the Hong Kong government fails to see that they, the very upholders of law, are on the dangerous path to the murders of many lives that are barely any different to ours,” the petition said.
Hong Kong Life on Palm said it received more than 60 inquiries about abandoning hamsters within just hours of the announcement of the cull, compared to the usual one to two inquiries a day.
“We had already tried our best to persuade them, some gave up their minds after that,” said Sophia Chan, president of the organisation. “However, about 20 pet owners did not change their mind. It involves about 30 to 40 hamsters.”