A recent video which recorded a dog struggling to poke its head out of the boot of a moving vehicle has sparked outrage among many concerned netizens. The video which was taken onboard a minibus in Pak Sha Wan in Hong Kong, showed the dog which was clearly distressed, stuck in the back of a car boot which had been left half opened and only loosely secured by a piece of rope. .

After being sent the video of the dog in the car boot, the Wong Tai Sin District Crime Unit launched an investigation and has since arrested a 59-year-old man on grounds of suspected animal cruelty. The suspect was granted bail and is due to report to the police station early next month.

According to sources, the dog who goes by the name of “Light year” (光年）, is a guard dog for its owner’s property. Remarkably and despite the dangerous carriage of the animal, the dog did not sustain any visible injuries, but will require further check ups to ascertain its welfare.

Mark Mak Chi-ho, Animals Protection Commissioner for the 18 Districts of Hong Kong (十八區動保專員) expressed that the police’s efficiency in the swift arrest of the suspect was commendable. He also shared that similar incidents have been more prevalent and that the behaviour fell within the grey area of the law. He recollected an incident years back where a dog was tied to the back of a bicycle and forced to give chase, yet no arrests were made. Mr. Mak believes that the arrest in the current incident highlights an important message - that the Police take these incidents extremely seriously despite being a grey and controversial area of animal cruelty.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (“SPCA”) also reported that it had received many calls on its hotline in regards to the video and that they too contacted the Police to follow up on this incident. The SPCA continues to reiterate that pet owners must dutifully carry out their responsibilities, and that it is wholly unacceptable to put a pet in an unsafe environment or space that compromises their welfare.

 In the UK, Rule 57 of the Highway Code provides: -

“When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars.”

There is no reciprocal rule in Hong Kong. Section 56 of the Road Traffic Ordinance, Cap 374 states that drivers must stop and inform the police if an animal has been harmed in a traffic accident, however the definition only includes horses, cows, donkeys, mules, sheep, pigs and goats. Dogs, cats and other domesticated animals are excluded under the Road Traffic Ordinance. This section has not been updated since 1972.

Courtesy of Amelia Wang

Main source: HKAnimalNews and HK01