Bowen Road Dog Poisoner

Poisoned bait laid at the side of Bowen Road and a dog victim. Many suffer a horrendously painful death.Poisoned bait laid at the side of Bowen Road and a dog victim. Many suffer a horrendously painful death.

For more than two decades, the Bowen Road and Black’s Link areas have become synonymous with a suspected dog poisoner. In the early 1990s, dogs were found poisoned almost every month by ingesting bait left in the grass verges along this scenic stretch.

Increased action by the police and SPCA inspectors, as well as growing public awareness, have helped reduce the number of poisonings. However, poisonous bait continues to be found in this vicinity, in concealed areas away from the main road.

Over 200 dogs and an unknown number of cats and wild animals  have been poisoned in this area.

SPCA’S ADVICE TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WALK DOGS IN THIS HIGH RISK AREA
  • Leash your dog and watch your dog at ALL times. Stop them from eating anything on the ground.
  • All dogs should wear a basket-muzzle to further reduce the risk of ingesting anything from the ground. 
SYMPTOMS OF POISONING
  • Dogs that ate the poisoned meat displayed the following symptoms shortly after: vomiting, diarrhea, trembling, breathing difficulty, convulsions, collapse and in some cases, death.

Note: Owners should closely observe their dogs for similar symptoms AFTER any walk in that area. Dogs can also ingest poison left in the environment when they lick their paws or other poisoned surfaces, resulting in similar symptoms much later.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOG IS POISONED
  • If your dog becomes unwell during or after the walk, take it to a vet immediately.
  • Keep calm, call the vet and let them know you and your dog are on the way.
REPORT ANY INCIDENTS OF POISONING, POISONED BAITS OR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY
  • SPCA’s 24-hour Hotline:  2711 1000
  • Police:  999, or Regional Crime Unit 3A, HK Island, HK Police:  2860 7830, or Task Force Sub-unit of Happy Valley Division, HK Police:  6101 0100

The SPCA Inspectorate and the Police will promptly patrol the area and clear any bait left to avoid further poisoning.

An SPCA Inspector puts up a warning poster - we recommend protecting your dog with a basket muzzle.An SPCA Inspector puts up a warning poster - we recommend protecting your dog with a basket muzzle.

About the Bowen Road Poisonings:
  • Meat laced with poison has been found along Bowen Road and Black’s Links.
  • Different types of meat have been used as bait including pork, chicken and char siu (barbecued pork).
  • A variety of poisons have been used. Thus, it is unclear if the poisonings are the work of one person or several copycats.
  • In recent years, poisoned meat has been found concealed in the vegetation at the side of the road as well as slopes accessible only to unleashed dogs.
  • The majority of poisoned dogs were either not leashed or not closely supervised.