It is Our Duty to Care.
It is the Law’s Duty to Protect.
Too often, the current law only allows action after an animal has already suffered serious harm. Hong Kong needs a more comprehensive and proactive approach — one that prevents neglect and abuse before suffering begins.
Hong Kong’s primary animal protection law, Cap. 169 The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, was introduced in 1935 (based on UK legislation from 1911). Since then, the legal framework, which primarily focuses on post-event punishment, has remained fundamentally unchanged, making it no longer fit for the modern world and our current animal welfare standards.
Care must start before cruelty.
The SPCA is calling for a full animal cruelty legislation reform, including:
Enable earlier intervention through a “Duty of Care”:
Introduce a clear legal responsibility for owners and keepers to ensure the basic needs of animals they care for are met, such as providing a suitable diet, shelter and protection from pain and suffering.
Close legal loopholes:
Remove legal loopholes and address legislative gaps by introducing disqualification orders to prevent repeat offending, and prohibiting unnecessary mutilations and the use of cruel devices, to provide stronger protection for animal welfare.
Strengthen enforcement powers:
Ensure investigators and enforcement agencies have the powers they need to protect animals, conduct proper investigations and intervene at an earlier stage.
Increase penalties:
Make sure cruelty carries consequences that reflect the harm caused, deter future offending, and reinforce that abuse will not be tolerated.
Animals should not have to continue to wait for changes that come too late to help them. Hong Kong needs a modern animal welfare law that prevents suffering, protects animals earlier, and holds offenders properly accountable.
We need full reform — not piecemeal updates.
Learn more about the current legislation and our proposed amendments in the tabs below.
Cap. 169: Hong Kong’s Animal Protection Law Is Long Overdue for Change
The foundation of animal welfare in Hong Kong ...
The SPCA's Proposed Reforms to Cap. 169
The law should not only punish cruelty after serious suffering has happened ...
Duty of Care: Protecting Animals Before Harm Is Done
Animal welfare is about how well an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives, the treatment it receives ...
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