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Leopold Chen

Theodora Yu

Danny Mok

Hong Kong’s environment chief has vowed to review government policies on handling stray dogs after a cyclist was killed in a suspected canine attack in Yuen Long, while an insider has said that bite-mark analyses and DNA tests are being conducted on three dogs captured by authorities to confirm whether any were involved in the deadly incident.
Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan made the promise on Monday morning, months after shelters warned of pets being abandoned in the New Territories amid land resumption operations.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), which operates under Tse’s bureau, said early on Monday that it had worked with police to capture three stray mongrels near Pok Wai South Road on Sunday evening.
The operation followed the death of a 27-year-old woman along the same road on Saturday after she was chased by dogs.
The victim suffered lacerations to her head, face, neck, arms and legs, with the wounds to her head and neck believed to have been fatal. Aside from stray dogs, officers also spotted wild boars in the area.
A source close to the investigation said on Monday that forensic pathologists were conducting bite-mark analyses and DNA tests on tissue that may have been left by the canines, to determine whether any of the three dogs had attacked the victim, noting the tests would take time to complete.


An AFCD spokesman said all the captured dogs were mongrels and two were microchipped. The department would contact registered owners based on licence records and if sufficient evidence showed they had failed to meet their legal responsibilities, then they would be prosecuted.
The spokesman added that the department would continue to coordinate with police and carry out further operations in the area to capture stray dogs and ensure public safety.
Kent Luk Ka-chit, founder of Paws Guardian Rescue Shelter, told the SCMP on Monday that one of the three dogs caught had a microchip under his name and that he was asked to give a statement on Wednesday.
Luk said it was a common practice for dog rescuers to register rescued dogs under their name after treating their injuries or spaying them. If they were not properly microchipped and registered, such dogs risked being euthanised by authorities if captured after a biting incident.
He said some owners were reluctant to have their pets microchipped so they could deny ownership and avoid responsibility when dog attacks occur.
Tse expressed deep sadness over the cyclist’s death and offered condolences to her family.
“This incident also serves as a reminder for us to look further into the situation to see how we could do better regarding stray dog operations, thereby further reducing the risks posed by stray dogs,” he said during a media briefing.
Tse emphasised that the bureau aimed for a “proper and balanced” approach to managing stray dogs in the Northern Metropolis and would try its best to “avoid methods that require the euthanasia of dogs.”
Without citing public complaint figures, Tse noted that the number of strays rounded up by the AFCD annually had dropped from more than 11,000 in 2002 to 400 in recent years, illustrating improved management.

He said the AFCD would first assess a dog’s physical condition, personality and temperament after capturing or receiving the animal.
In the vast majority of cases, the general approach was to spay and release the dogs, the minister said.
However, aggressive or severely ill canines may be euthanised, which he described as the “best arrangement for the dog’s welfare and public safety.”
He added that the AFCD adhered to guidelines from the World Organisation for Animal Health when handling stray dogs.
In July, dog shelters told the South China Morning Post that more animals, including dogs, had been displaced in the New Territories during land resumption works for the Northern Metropolis megaproject.
The Paws Guardian Rescue Shelter, which is based in Yuen Long, reported receiving an average of 1.9 rescue calls per day in the first half of this year, up from 1.3 in 2025.
However, Tse said that while investigations into Saturday’s incident were still ongoing, the likelihood that dogs displaced by clearance works were involved in the attack was “relatively low”.
But he pledged to work with the Development Bureau to review strategies for managing dogs displaced by the Northern Metropolis development.

Dr Jackie Yip Yin, the AFCD assistant director overseeing inspection and quarantine, said it was not immediately clear whether the three captured dogs were the ones that had chased the cyclist.
“We will continue with our operation to capture unattended dogs near the area to safeguard public safety,” she said.

Saturday’s incident marked the second suspected fatal dog attack in less than a month.
In August, a 33-year-old woman who operated a canine training centre in Ta Kwu Ling was attacked by a dog at the facility and later found dead nearby.
Days earlier, a mongrel with genetic traits of a mastiff also mauled two smaller dogs to death in Yuen Long’s town centre.
Discussing ongoing operations, Wilson Wong Ka-keung, deputy district police commander for Yuen Long, said the force had mobilised drones to help locate stray dogs.
The force has identified several hotspots for future patrols, with officers instructed to immediately report any further sightings to the AFCD.

Tse on Monday also addressed the potential use of genetic tests rather than physical assessments to identify “fighting dogs”.
The AFCD earlier said it was considering genetic testing as a supplementary tool for identifying breeds after enforcement action against suspected fighting dogs sparked public outrage.
But Tse said that genetic testing “may not be a particularly good method” as dogs have interbred freely over time and many now carry fighting-dog genes.
“The crucial point is whether possessing these genes could lead the dog to develop the stature, build and temperament of a fighting dog,” he said, asserting that physical examinations remained more effective for classification.

He acknowledged there were borderline cases where dogs would be more difficult to assess, and invited veterinarians to contact the AFCD experts for professional help.
In the event of a dispute, a statutory committee could make a final determination on whether a pet was a fighting dog, he added.
Speaking on a radio show on Monday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said authorities should consider more factors before deciding whether to install additional security cameras in the area, given the spot had a relatively low occurrence of crime.
“Thieves may stop committing crimes out of fear, knowing that there is a security camera. But dogs will not stop biting [regardless of] surveillance,” he said.
Nonetheless, he acknowledged that the latest dog attack could trigger fresh safety concerns extending beyond crime prevention.


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Hong Kong society

Hong Kong police and AFCD officers search for dogs involved in a suspected attack on a cyclist. Photo: Kit Lai

AFCD officers check for microchips on dogs owned by an outdoor storage yard operator. Photo: Kit Lai

Dr Jackie Yip says the AFCD will continue operations to capture unattended dogs near the area where the cyclist was killed to safeguard public safety. Photo: YouTube/Hong Kong Police

Wilson Wong says police are investigating the exact cause of the cyclist’s death. Photo: YouTube/Hong Kong Police

Environment chief Tse Chin-wan says genetic testing “may not be a particularly good method” for identifying fighting dogs due to extensive interbreeding. Photo: Sun Yeung

In August, a 33-year-old woman who operated a canine training centre in Ta Kwu Ling was attacked by a dog at the facility. She was later found dead nearby. Photo: Edmond So

Dogs roaming the Pok Wai area in Yuen Long. Photo: Kit Lai

AFCD officers work alongside police to capture stray dogs near Pok Wai South Road on Sunday evening. Photo: Handout

Dog paw prints on a cycle path along Pok Wai South Road, near where the cyclist was found dead. Photo: Kit Lai

Animal shelters had previously warned that pets were being abandoned in the New Territories. Photo: Kit Lai

Woman chased by 3 dogs before suspected fatal attack in Hong Kong

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and police conducted dog-catching operations in the area on Sunday night. Photo: Handout

The woman was taken to Pok Oi Hospital in Yuen Long, where she was pronounced dead at 2.09am. Photo: Jelly Tse

Safety or hostility? Dog owners split over Hong Kong’s crackdown on leash rules

A worker at the West Kowloon Cultural District reminds dog owners about the rules. Photo: Silvia Siu

Kim Chan’s nine-year-old black labradoodle. Photo: Silvia Siu

A dog leash attached to a two-year-old Corgi at the West Kowloon Cultural District. Photo: Silvia Siu

Hong Kong considers DNA testing amid concerns over ‘fighting dog’ classification

Hong Kong authorities are studying DNA testing as a supplementary tool to identify breeds after concerns over the classification and seizure of suspected fighting dogs. Photo: Handout

Police cordoned off the place where a 33-year-old woman was found dead last month after being attacked by a 30kg dog with traits associated with pit bull ancestry. Photo: Edmond So

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Hong Kong

Society

Hong Kong environment chief says policies on handling strays will be reviewed after cyclist’s death from suspected attack in Yuen Long


Hong Kong environment chief says policies on handling strays will be reviewed after cyclist’s death from suspected attack in Yuen Long.


Tse Chin-wan

Animal welfare in Hong Kong

Pets in Hong Kong

Bite-mark, DNA tests used to identify dogs after woman dies in suspected attack

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hong Kong environment chief says policies on handling strays will be reviewed after cyclist’s death from suspected attack in Yuen Long

Hong Kong environment chief says policies on handling strays will be reviewed after cyclist’s death from suspected attack in Yuen Long