More animals dumped, abused amid Covid-19 pandemic in Hong Kong as owners leave or say they can’t afford to keep pets
- Police dealt with 34 cases of suspected cruelty to animals, arrested 20 in first half of 2020
- Animal welfare groups record more abandoned animals; rise in number of owners giving up pets
The brown mongrel pup was curled up in a carton discarded at a waste collection point in Yuen Long when animal rescuers from the Society for Abandoned Animals (SAA) found her.
She was malnourished and unable to walk because she was born with her hind legs crossed, says El Chan Suk-kuen, founder of the Yuen Long-based animal shelter.
“It was discarded as rubbish. That was cruel,” Chan says.
For the past month the charity has been taking care of the two-month-old mixed breed female, which they named Willy. It is also preparing Willy for a surgery so she can walk.
Animal rescue groups and shelters say the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a rise in the number of abandoned and abused animals, as owners left Hong Kong or were struggling financially.
Statistics from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) show that 888 animals, including 419 dogs, 45 cats as well as rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, reptiles and others, were given up by owners to the department during the first nine months of this year, compared to 818 over the whole of last year.