Animal Rights Activists Rally At Tamar

Animal rights activists staged a rally on Sunday outside government headquarters at Tamar. They are calling for stronger protection for animals in Hong Kong. But those taking part have welcomed a move by the police to take a more structured approach to dealing with animal abuse cases.

Police Commissioner Stephen Lo announced on Saturday that specialised investigation teams would be set up in each of the 22 districts to combat animal abuse. This follows a spate of suspected animal cruelty cases that have been reported over the past few weeks.

Mark Mak, executive chairman of the non-profit Veterinary Services Society, says there is now an institutionalised channel to tackle these cases more effectively.

"Definitely this is a breakthrough," he said.

Mak said different squads used to have different attitudes towards animal abuse cases. But now, each team would have training.

Those at the rally also wanted to make sure sufficient funding would be available for the animal abuse units.