Shelters warn against poor treatment of warehouse guard dogs in New Territories
Poor treatment of guard dogs at warehouses before ditching them in unfamiliar environments could make the animals easier to agitate, rescuers have said, calling for a “trap, neuter and release” approach, among other solutions. Concerns about the handling of stray dogs entered the media spotlight after a 27-year-old woman was discovered along a cycle path in Yuen Long after suffering lacerations…
Warehouse guard dogs in the New Territories are facing poor treatment, leading to potential aggression when released into unfamiliar environments, rescuers warn. After a woman died after being attacked by dogs in Yuen Long, rescuers are calling for a "trap, neuter and release" approach to better handle stray dogs. Jacqueline Cheung, founder of Love Adopt Animal Society, noted that these guard dogs, often neglected, suffer from poor living conditions, inadequate care, and lack of neutering.
The dogs' strong territorial instincts make them more prone to aggression if they feel threatened. Land resumption works clearing warehouses and car parks, coupled with constant chasing, beating, and chaining, may leave these dogs feeling anxious and insecure. Cheung estimates that around 80% of dogs in such environments are neglected and often fed table scraps.
Many warehouse operators do not neuter the dogs, keeping them in a free-roaming manner. A long-standing issue, addressing the root of the problem requires temporarily trapping, spaying, and releasing the dogs back into their original environment. Figures show a decrease in euthanised dogs in recent years, but the number of transfers to shelters for adoption has also declined.
Education, subsidies, and harsher penalties against pet smugglers are needed to promote adoption and reduce the stray animal population.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
