A whale carcass, suspected to be the Bryde's whale first spotted on July 13 in Sai Kung, was found floating belly up on the surface of the sea in Hong Kong’s eastern waters.

The news came on Monday after a video surfaced online showing the motionless mammal floating belly up, with the cameraman suspecting the animal’s stomach was cut open by a propeller - with its guts exposed.

Read More

Hong Kong residents have been urged to stop approaching a whale spotted in Sai Kung after experts spotted injuries on the animal.

The animal was spotted with a cut on its back in recent days, with the injury suspected to have been caused by a sharp object such as a boat propeller. The mammal is also showing signs of mental stress as her injuries worsened.

Crowds of people had been spotted approaching the whale over the weekend, which may cause the animal stress and can lead to life-threatening consequences – such as inability to rest or feed.

Read More

Conventional layer hen cages will be phased out in Australia by 2036 after an independent review panel released updated poultry standards.  

From this year, all new chicken cages must be installed with nest areas and layer hens must also have access to perches or platforms and a scratch area. If a cage system was installed before the end of 2011, it must meet the new requirements by July 1, 2032, and cages installed after 2014 need to be updated by 2036.

It remains to be seen whether Australia, and other countries promising a more immediate year of reckoning will meet their cage-free goals. For now, the introduction of similar regulations prohibiting or phasing out battery egg production and distribution in Hong Kong and China would set a positive precedent for the rest of Asia.

Courtesy of Saskia Sinha

Read More

An Italian court has suspended a ruling that a brown bear should be put down for mauling to death a jogger in the Alps.

The animal, a 17-year-old female identified as JJ4, was captured after the fatal attack on Andrea Papi, 26, near his village of Caldes on 5 April. He was the first person in Italy to be killed in a bear attack in modern times.

Judges at the Rome administrative court, known as the council of state, said on Friday that while the bear should be kept in captivity for public safety, the cull order was “disproportionate” and unnecessary.

Courtesy of Pit Hok Yau, Tim

Read More

With the recent incident rate of racehorse deaths increasing, the question as to the welfare of these animals in the horse racing industry has once again begun.

There is a desperate need to address oversupply issues in the racing industry including by reducing the number of racehorses bred, minimising the risk of injury and for every horse to be provided with a suitable alternative role on retirement.

Using animals in "sports" often involves causing intentional harm and inflicting violence on these sentient beings and more must be done to protect these animals.

Courtesy of Eufrosina Liu

Read More

Sixty tusks from protected hippopotamus and 3,300 live turtles were among a HK$2 million haul of contraband seized by Hong Kong customs in a crackdown against a cross-border sea smuggling operation.

Customs officers arrested three local men at the waterfront in Ap Lei Chau, but the other three smugglers fled in a speedboat, according to Inspector Hong Yan of the syndicate crimes investigation bureau.

The total haul was estimated to be worth HK$2 million in Hong Kong.

Courtesy of Kat Mak.

Read More

Canada has banned testing cosmetic products on animals, a largely symbolic move that brings the policy in line with dozens of other countries.

The amendments to the Food and Drug Act were included in this year's budget, and will come into effect in December.

In addition to barring companies from testing their cosmetic products on animals in Canada, the regulations prevent new products that rely on animal testing data to establish product safety from being sold in this country.

Read More

Two recent incidents which have made international headlines are exemplars of the lack of animal welfare in various recreational encounters in China.

Despite claims by the theme park that pigs are respectfully treated, it is essential to remain critical of their living conditions. For instance, the fact that guests can easily take home a pig upon check out is worrying. Similarly, the fact that Garden Expo allows for tourists to interact with wild birds in such close proximity is a significant cause for concern.

Knowledge and education allow us to make better and more unformed decisions. As consumers, the power lies with us to vote with our feet and stop the demand for such tourism activities.

Courtesy of Wai Yan Janet Lam

Read More

A year-long BBC investigation has uncovered a sadistic global monkey torture ring stretching from Indonesia to the United States.

The World Service found hundreds of customers in the US, UK and elsewhere paying Indonesians to torture and kill baby long-tailed macaques on film.

The torture ring began life on YouTube, before moving to private groups on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. Police are now pursuing the buyers and several arrests have already been made.

Courtesy of Claire Lai

Read More

The Shark Fins Act passed into UK law on 29 June 2023, marking a major step in cementing the UK as a global leader in shark conservation. The Act will ban the import and export of detached shark fins, including all products containing shark fins such as tinned shark fin soup.

The Shark Fins Act provided a solution to this problem in the UK, abolishing the need for DNA testing entirely by enacting a complete ban on the animal product.

For now, it is unlikely such a move will be emulated in Hong Kong. If the practice of shark finning is to be truly halted, more work must be done at the ground level to diminish demand for shark fin across Asia, and punish those acting contrary to existing regulations to the full extent of the law.

Courtesy of Saskia Sinha

Read More

A new law guarantees sea turtles in Panama the right to live and have free passage in a healthy environment.

The law gives sea turtles the right to an environment free of pollution and other human impacts that cause physical or health damage, like climate change, incidental capture, coastal development and unregulated tourism.

What makes the law remarkable is that it explicitly says sea turtles, as living creatures, have rights, and with enough specificity that those rights can be enforced.

Courtesy of Kt Dallison

Read More

A 43-year-old woman was arrested on 22 June 2023 for allegedly ill-treating animals, after at least 20 cats were found in an odorous flat with no food nor water in Hong Kong.

The tragedy was scandalised after the neighbour who lives under the arrestee called the police complaining about the water seepage from the ceiling. The neighbour was also worried that the arrestee could have fainted because the dripping water came with an obnoxious smell. Police officers and firefighters broke into the flat and found 14 cats in the flat, although the woman was not present.

As stated in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance Cap 169, anyone who is in charge of any animal in confinement or captivity but neglects to supply such animal with sufficient food and fresh water can be convicted to a fine of HK$200,000 and imprisonment for three years.

Courtesy of Pik Hok Yau, Tim

Read More

With the height of summer fast approaching, and a lack of public beaches in Hong Kong permitting canine companions, ‘pet pools’ have risen in popularity as an outlet for owners to socialise, pamper, and provide temporary respite for their dogs.

However, in response to several incidents of pet illness and death during and after swimming sessions, the Consumer Council commenced an investigation into businesses advertising such facilities. The council’s report flagged industry-specific issues concerning the welfare of animals left in the care of luxury service providers.

With the current lack of industry regulation, responsibility for animal wellbeing at pet pools continues to lie with pet owners themselves. Increased pressure on luxury pet business managers to freely publicise detailed information about their facilities and staff is necessary. In the meantime, owners are urged to conduct comprehensive preparatory research and supervise pets during water-based activities where possible. 

Courtesy of Saskia Sinha

Read More

The loss of nature is one of the many environmental crises facing our planet. And a key challenge in addressing this is halting the poaching and trafficking of wildlife, which is often driven by demand for ivory.

In a bid to protect animals from poaching, the UK government has strengthened legal protections for five more species. Trading in ivory from hippos, walruses, narwhals, killer whales and sperm whales is set to be prohibited under the extended provisions of the Ivory Act 2018. Since coming into force last year, this act has gained recognition as “one of the toughest bans of its kind in the world”.

Courtesy of Claire Lai

Read More

In what could be one of Hong Kong’s longest sentences in recent years relating to animals, 31-year-old defendant Leung Ting-fung was sentenced to 28 months’ imprisonment by Judge Leung Lee Hing-nin for smuggling 117 cats and 46 dogs into the city via speedboat (Case Number: DCCC945/2022).

The defendant pleaded guilty to five charges before the District Court, including cruelty to animals, importing unmanifested cargo, and endangering the safety of others at sea.

The desire for pedigree and pure bred cats only perpetuates the cycle of illegitimate breeders who wouldn’t care less about the welfare of the animals. We also see a large number of animals being illegally transported from Mainland China to fulfil the needs of those who want designer pets. The above is one such example, where the pecuniary gain through the illegal transhipment of animals motivates offenders. It is also abundantly clear that the health, welfare and safety of the animals being transported into Hong Kong is practically nil. Animals are crammed into small cages, with no food, water or space. It’s a true miracle that even a small percentage of these animals arrive into Hong Kong alive.

Courtesy of Wai Yan Janet Lam

Read More

Assistant Superintendent Cheung Ka-chung of customs’ air cargo ground said on Friday, 16th of June, that authorities cracked 24 smuggling cases involving endangered species leading to 14 arrests.

In the month-long operation jointly mounted with officers from the Customs and Excise Department and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, authorities seized contraband items primarily consisting of dried shark fin. Other items seized in the operation code-named “Shepherd” include live Burmese and Indian star tortoise and are suspected to include ginseng, dried seahorse and orchids.

Hong Kong has long been criticised as a hub for illegal wildlife trade with  more than 640 tonnes of goods worth HK$207 million seized in 2018 and 2019.

Courtesy of Claire Lai

Read More

A 44-year-old father who killed his pet cat by slamming it into the ground after the cat had scratched his son’s face was sentenced to two and a half months in jail.

The father, pleaded guilty at the West Kowloon Magistrate’s Court to one count of animal cruelty, contrary to section 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, Cap 169.

As a civilised society, Hong Kong shall not tolerate anyone who cruelly treats animals. However, and despite the existence of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, Cap 169 - it does not mean that there are any fewer cases of animal cruelty. There still exists a number of legal loopholes for those who commit acts of cruelty against animals to exploit. Furthermore, despite the maximum sentence able to be imposed for this sort of offending rests at 3 years’ imprisonment, the Courts in Hong Kong have still been extremely hesitant to hand down sentences that would create any deterrence.

But is Hong Kong's current animal welfare legislation sufficient in protecting the vulnerable and those who could not speak for themselves? Should the penalty for taking the life of an innocent cat only be worth 2.5 months imprisonment?

Does Hong Kong’s animal-centric legislation have enough bite?

Courtesy of Eufrosina Liu

Read More

A UK bill aimed at banning live animal exports and introducing powers to tackle puppy smuggling has been dropped by the government over fears it would be forced into a vote on hunting.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was first introduced in June 2021, and was announced again in the Queen's Speech last year.

It would have delivered on Conservative 2019 manifesto commitments to end the export of live animals for fattening and slaughter, tackle puppy smuggling and ban the keeping of primates as pets.

Courtesy of Alvin Yiu

Read More

A pug puppy was abandoned in near death condition inside two bin bags in Tsuen Wan on Tuesday evening. The puppy was found by volunteers from LAP (Lifelong Animal Protection Charity). He was rushed to the emergency vet, but ultimately did not survive.

The previous owner of the puppy informed LAP that the puppy had been purchased online from Taobao. He alleged the puppy had been examined by two vets and was told the puppy had an ‘incurable disease.’ Not wanting the dog to die in his home, the man abandoned the puppy, and warned LAP against taking in the dog

This extremely devastating story highlights not only the risks of purchasing pets online, but also the desire for brachycephalic dogs despite the cruel breeding practices which lead to lots of health problems in the breed.

A huge thank you needs to go to LAP for the extremely professional care and welfare shown to this brave puppy. This is why we need to continue supporting organisations such as LAP and to repeat the message ‘ADOPT DON’T SHOP’.

Courtesy of Audrey O’Young.

Read More

On the most recent Buddha's Birthday, many Hong Kong citizens were captured engaging in “mercy release”, where large numbers of animals of all different species were released into the sea indiscriminately. Some seafood vendors have even taken advantage of this practice to make a profit, by selling animals to citizens to release them back to the sea.

This practice is not just practised in Hong Kong. Every year around the world, hundreds of millions of animals are released into the wild through this Buddhist practice. The tradition is based on the belief that freeing a captured animal creates good karma, bringing a person good fortune in this life and better prospects for the next.

Such tradition began hundreds of years ago with spontaneous acts of compassion toward animals. Yet, such kind intentions lead to extremely cruel consequences. The modern day mercy release is simply an act out of selfishness to attain self-satisfaction sugar-coated with compassion and benevolence.

Courtesy of Alvin Yiu

Read More