Democrats Urge Changes To Animal Cruelty Laws

The Democratic Party says it will propose changes to Hong Kong's prevention of cruelty to animals law, after the Department of Justice (DOJ) decided not to pursue a case of animal cruelty, in which around 30 animals were thrown to their deaths earlier this year.

The animals were found dead earlier this year on a slope near the Hong Kong Garden housing estate in Sham Tseng. Police arrested two suspects, but the DOJ decided against pressing charges after considering the evidence in the case.

Animal welfare groups had slammed the government move and some activists had called for tougher animal-cruelty laws, which currently say a case should be prosecuted within six months.

Former Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho, who is also a solicitor, said under the current rules, even a private case over such acts is not possible.

So his party is proposing changes to the law including tougher penalties for such crimes and holding pet owners responsible if animals are found dead in suspicious circumstances.

He also told RTHK's Richard Pyne that the DOJ should've pressed ahead to find the criminals behind the act.

"Apart from the question of cruelty, which disturbed and outraged many people, there is also another possible offence of dropping or allowing to be dropped an object from a building which would cause hazard to public safety," said Ho.

The former lawmaker questioned if the police would have a similar approach in cases involving objects like a fan or a chair thrown from a high rise building.