Hong Kong police have arrested a 41-year-old woman on suspicion of animal cruelty after a strong odour led officers to discover 32 cats and one dog, including a dead kitten, in her public flat in the New Territories.
Officers were called to Shin Lun House at Fu Shin Estate in Tai Po at around 12.25am on Thursday to investigate concerns about a potential accident following a neighbour’s complaint about odour coming from a 23rd-floor flat.
A source familiar with the case said that upon arrival, officers found the flat’s door slightly ajar and unlocked with no one inside.
“Inside the premises, police discovered 32 cats and one dog. One of the cats was dead,” the insider said.
“Five of the cats were in poor health. Staff from an animal welfare organisation took them for care and treatment.”
The remaining 26 cats and one dog appeared in good health and were taken by personnel from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
The Post has learned that most of the cats are British shorthairs and the dog is a poodle. The deceased cat was about six months old.
“The cats and the dog were freely moving around inside the premises without being caged. The flat is messy with animal waste scattered around,” the source said.
Police later arrested the flat tenant – a 41-year-old woman – on suspicion of animal cruelty, which is punishable by up to three years in jail and a HK$200,000 (US$25,670) fine.
Detectives from the Tai Po criminal investigation unit are following up on the case.
In May, a fire ripped through a public housing flat at Kwai Tsui Estate in Kwai Chung, killing a dog, two cats, three birds and a marten. The animals, along with another dog and two cats which survived, were being kept in the Bik Tsui House flat when the blaze broke out.
Both Fu Shin Estate and Kwai Tsui Estate are managed by the Housing Authority, which introduced a marking scheme in 2003 covering 28 misdeeds. Each carries different penalty points according to the degree of seriousness involved.
When a public housing household has accrued 16 points within two years, its tenancy may be terminated.
Tenants who keep an animal, bird or livestock inside leased premises without prior consent will be given five penalty points under the marking scheme without warning, according to the authority.
