GPS leads to raid of Chinese cat and dog meat factory.

Stalls at a livestock market in southern China were shut down for selling hundreds of cats and dogs after a dedicated pet owner traced a missing cat to the market using GPS technology. The authorities raided the market having received reports that stolen pets were being sold, and seized a total of 235 cats.

A draft “white list” of animals allowed to be raised for meat to be consumed included pigs, cattle, goats, donkeys, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, and quail. Dogs and cats were excluded. But with no unified national ban in place, the practice of eating dog and cat meat continues.

Courtesy of Amelia Wang.

NewsKim McCoy19 April 2021GPS, Cats, Dogs, Pets, Market, Stolen animalsComment

Mystery boxes containing live animals for sale in China.

Live animals including dogs, cats, tortoise, and rabbits are amongst the many animals people in Mainland China can purchase for as low as 9.9 RMB, (approximately HK$43) in a ‘live mystery box’. What is even more surprising than their existence, is that more than 6000 of these mystery boxes have been sold.

The low cost of these animals means that to an irresponsible owner, they are purely expendable and they are more likely to “try their luck” again, rather than provide the love and attention the animal they received needs.

Courtesy of Amelia Wang.

NewsKim McCoy5 March 2021Dogs, Cats, Animals, Mystery boxes, Buying animalsComment

Arrest made over video of cat trapped in washing machine.

A woman was arrested on Monday night in Hong Kong after an online video of a cat being trapped in a washing machine went viral. The video shows the cat sitting inside a washing machine before its lid was closed and the appliance is turned on. The machine runs for about 10 seconds, during which time the animal can be seen barely moving around inside.

This incident unfortunately demonstrates the mindset a lot of Hong Kong people have towards animals. Animals are merely treated as “things” or “objects”, rather than something that is living, capable of feeling pain and suffering and deserving of our protection. A change in mindset is desperately needed if we as a society can truly be said to be protective of animals.

Courtesy of Kelly Ma.

NewsKim McCoy9 February 2021Cat, Cats, Cruelty to animals, Prosecution, Deterrence, SentencingComment

A Gentle Introduction to Pet-Nup's in Hong Kong.

Learn more about Pet-Nups, a niche and evolving trend in animal welfare, which acts similarly to a pre-nuptial agreement. These have been recently introduced in the UK in an attempt to lessen the heartache of a divorce proceeding and, to more pertinently, ensure a pet’s welfare post-divorce.

Courtesy of Daphne Ng.

BlogKim McCoy5 November 2020Pet-nups, Pet Owners, Pets, Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, Duty of Care, Pet InsuranceComment

Hong Kong volunteers rescue animals from fire.

Volunteers have worked tirelessly overnight to ensure that hundreds of animals that were housed in an animal centre in Yuen Long were transported to safety away from a nearby fire that was spreading uncontrollably.

This incident demonstrates just how important both animals and animal welfare are to members of the Hong Kong community, and why we must continue to advocate for better and more robust animal protection laws in Hong Kong.

Courtesy of Marco Poon.

Kim McCoy27 October 2020Dogs, Cats, Animal Shelter, VolunteerComment

No charges laid despite repeated suffering and death of cats.

The Hong Kong Police have decided not to bring criminal charges against a couple who had adopted and fostered cats for the HK Saving Cat and Dog Association (“HKSCDA”), despite evidence that many of the cats suffered serious injuries whilst in their care, and the unfortunate deaths of others.

Courtesy of Jaime Lam and Amelia Wang.

Kim McCoy18 September 2020Cats, Foster cats, Adopted cats, Cruelty to animals, Police, No chargesComment

15 dead animals found on Hong Kong shores.

In the past two days, a total of 15 dead animals have been found in pet carriers, washed up onto the beaches of Hong Kong. The cases may be linked to animal-smuggling activities via Hong Kong to the Mainland.

Kim McCoy28 August 2020Dogs, Cats, Illegal animal smugglersComment