Animal Watch Scheme

In May 2012, a video from a local newspaper revealed that a man in Yuen Long had been beating his dog, later named “Spring Roll.” The sender of the video claimed the beatings had being going on for over a year although the video itself was not clear enough to determine if the man was actually beating the dog or if he was hitting the ground.

Under the Animal Watch Scheme, the police and the SPCA collaborated to determine if Spring Roll was a victim of cruelty. Together, they located a witness who confirmed that the man had been beating his dog for more than a year. He also provided the full version of the original video that had been featured in the newspaper.

The team were also able to provide as evidence a cane with which the dog had been beaten along with expert testimony from our dog behaviour and temperament expert, Dr Cynthia Simillie.

The result was that in August 2012, the owner was convicted of animal cruelty and fined HK$2,500. Spring Roll was removed from his care and rehomed two months later.

In March 2012, a witness saw a man stop his white van on the roadside in Yuen Long and throw out two objects before driving off. The objects were later found to be two halves of a cat. The witness reported the incident and the registration number of the van to the police.

Under the Animal Watch scheme, the SPCA Inspectorate was called in for assistance and determined that there was a need for further enquiries.

The police located the driver who revealed he had heard some strange noises coming from the engine compartment. He stopped the van, checked the compartment and found the cat dead inside. When he pulled out the carcass, it had been torn into two.

SPCA Inspectors and the police found some bloodstains and cat fur left inside the engine compartment while the AFCD post-mortem examination found nothing to suggest a cause of death different to the van driver’s story.

The result was that the case was classified as an accident.