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Leopold Chen

The owners of an American Bully are challenging the authorities’ classification of “fighting dogs” after their pet, a breed strictly controlled in Hong Kong, died during neutering, a procedure they undertook amid a crackdown on non-compliance.
Monchiu, a female, died under anaesthesia during the operation at a veterinary clinic on Friday, her owners said on social media late on Saturday.
They said the dog, who suffered from vision and hearing impairment, as well as skin problems, was unfit for surgery but they proceeded out of fear she might be taken into the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department’s custody.
The owners said the dog had been repeatedly reported since authorities stepped up checks, although they insisted she was obedient and posed no threat.
“We were very afraid that it would be reported and taken to the department for detention. It had physical defects – it was born blind in one eye and could not hear, and had skin problems – and she could not survive such hot weather in the detention cell,” said the owners, who called themselves “dad and mum”.
“Monchiu is a victim under the indiscriminate law enforcement of the department.”
They questioned the classification of fighting dogs.
“We hope that the departure of Monchiu could fight for the vindication and rectification of other Bullies in Hong Kong – Bully dogs are not fighting dogs and it is extremely risky for them to undergo forced sterilisation surgery,” they said.
Concerns over the management of large and fighting dogs grew in Hong Kong after two attacks in mid-August.
In the first incident, on August 17, two small dogs were mauled to death by a 60kg dog with genetic links to a mastiff in Yuen Long town centre.
Days later, a 33-year-old woman was found dead near her pet training centre in Ta Kwu Ling after being attacked by a 30kg dog with traits associated with pit bull ancestry.

Under Hong Kong law, four types of “fighting dogs”, the pit bull terrier, dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa and fila Brasileiro, and their crossbreeds are banned from import or local breeding.
They must be securely muzzled, kept on a leash no longer than 1.5 metres and wear a special collar when in public. Existing fighting dogs must also be neutered to be kept legally.
The attacks prompted authorities to review the definitions of fighting dogs, and the department has strengthened inspection and enforcement.
At least three dogs have been detained by the department on suspicion of being fighting dogs.
On Wednesday, the department said the American Bully, alongside the American pit bull terrier and American Staffordshire terrier, was classified under pit bull terriers and therefore subject to fighting dog regulations.
The department said the law regulated by “type” rather than “breed” and the three breeds had long been regarded as falling under the pit bull terrier type.
It added that the three breeds had always been subject to the same strict regulations, and that the policy and definition of fighting dogs had not changed.
In response to Monchiu’s case, the department said on Sunday that it had not received any inquiry or report concerning the animal, and had not classified it as a fighting dog.
It said the determination of fighting dog types was the responsibility of the department’s veterinary officers, who would carefully observe the dog’s physical characteristics and external proportions, body structure, and related features to assess whether the dog truly possessed the high-risk traits characteristic of the fighting dog types, and thereby classify the dog.
“This is the common international practice for identifying fighting dog types,” it said.
The department said that if a classified fighting dog had not been desexed, it would escort the animal to a private veterinary clinic appointed by the dog keeper for desexing surgery.
“The appointed private veterinarian will carry out a medical examination of the dog. If, on medical grounds, the veterinarian considers the dog unfit for surgery, a direction will be issued to the dog keeper allowing the surgery to be postponed until the dog’s health has been restored,” a department spokesman said.
The department urged keepers to consult a registered vet before subjecting their dogs to any surgical procedures. Those who were worried that their pets could be fighting dogs should contact the department or a registered vet for verification, it said.
The department also said that citywide special inspection and enforcement operations on the proper control of dogs on August 30 and this weekend had found three suspected cases where large dogs were not being securely held on a leash in public places.
It added that its officers would follow up on these cases and institute prosecutions accordingly.


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Monchiu died under anesthesia at a vet’s clinic, according to the dog’s owners. Photo: Handout

Monchiu was born blind in one eye and could not hear, the owners said.  Photo: Handout

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Owners hope Monchiu’s death will ‘fight for the vindication and rectification of other Bullies in Hong Kong’


Owners hope Monchiu’s death will ‘fight for the vindication and rectification of other Bullies in Hong Kong’.


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‘A victim’: American Bully dies in surgery, owners question fighting dog rules

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Owners hope Monchiu’s death will ‘fight for the vindication and rectification of other Bullies in Hong Kong’

Owners hope Monchiu’s death will ‘fight for the vindication and rectification of other Bullies in Hong Kong’