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 to her head, face, neck, arms and legs. She was later pronounced dead at Pok Oi Hospital.

On Saturday night, three dogs were seen chasing the woman along Pok Wai South Road in an area with several warehouses.

Jacqueline Cheung, founder of the non-profit Love Adopt Animal Society, said that free-roaming warehouse guard dogs fell under the broad definition of stray dogs, which also covered abandoned pets on the streets and wild canines that stayed in the mountains and away from urban areas.