'Govt Too Passive Over Breaches Of Dog Licence Rules'

Ombudsman Winnie Chiu on Thursday urged the government to be more proactive when it comes to enforcement action against those breaching dog licensing rules.

Dog owners are required to obtain a licence and vaccinate and microchip their pets within five months of the animal's birth, and the licence must be renewed every three years.

Chiu said that while the requirements were introduced to help prevent rabies outbreaks, the measures are also important for animal welfare reasons.

But a direct probe carried out by her office found that the licences for 167,000 dogs had expired in the past decade, and around two thirds of them for at least two years.

Chiu noted that the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) only took action against dog keepers when their pets were not properly controlled or had bitten people.

She said officials are too passive and they should carry out random spot checks in public places.

"AFCD should be more pro-active.... It should conduct random dog licence inspections, require dog keepers to license their dog, or renew the licence by a specified deadline, and take action against the offenders," the Ombudsman told a press conference.