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

The Mystery of the Bowen Road Dog Poisoner.

For almost 50 years, an unknown person or persons have deliberately and indiscriminately poisoned and killed animals, including many dogs. The perpetrators are unknown but the emotional toll has been recorded in the heart-breaking interviews with those who loved the canine victims

Read more about one of Hong Kong’s most famous murder mysteries, the laws relating to poisons and injurious substances and suggested amendments to the current law in order to better protect animals in Hong Kong.

Courtesy of Sala Sihombing and Karine Goyneau.

BlogKim McCoy23 February 2021Dogs, Pets, Poison, Animal Cruelty, Bowen Road PoisonerComment

Proposed ban on keeping pet primates in UK.

The UK Government has recently announced that people in England could be banned from keeping monkeys and other primates as pets. Up to 5,000 primates are currently living outside licensed zoos in the UK, with animal welfare minister Lord Goldsmith saying many of them are in “misery” due to a lack of space and stimulation.

Under the plans, those who keep them without a zoo licence would need to obtain a new specialist private primate keeper licence to ensure they are meeting zoo-level welfare standards.

Courtesy of Amelia Wang.

Kim McCoy21 January 2021Primate, Pets, Pet Shops, Code of PracticeComment

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

4,000 animals found dead in Chinese logistics depot.

About 4,000 dogs, cats, rabbits and other animas have been found dead at a logistics hub in Luhoe, Henan province, after being stranded there for nearly a week. Many of these animals had been purchased online and packaged in delivery boxes, bound for onward consignment through to other parts of China.

Courtesy of Nicole Liang.

Kim McCoy2 October 2020Pets, Transport, Purchasing of animals, Transport loaws, Animal transportComment

The Case for Launching Statutory Pet Trust in Hong Kong.

Pet owners provide constant love, care and affection to their animals. But does this positive welfare have to stop after the death of the owner? Unfortunately, with an ever growing reluctance from family members to take on such a responsibility, there has been an increase in pets being discarded and abandoned on the streets.

However, and as the author of this article has considered, will the formation of a statutory pet trust in Hong Kong be able to solve this worrisome issue? Learn about the legal, practical and conceptual difficulties that face the initiation of a statutory pet trust in Hong Kong, as well as the local and international legal precedents that would support its establishment.

Courtesy of Jeremy H.Y. Lam

BlogKim McCoy21 September 2020Pets, Trust, Pet Trust, Animal welfare, Pet OwnersComment