appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Lo Hoi-ying

Hong Kong pet owners have called for environmental authorities to place rat poison in boxes instead of hanging them in transparent bags, with one owner saying his dog had to visit the veterinarian three times in recent months after accidentally consuming pellets that spilled from broken bags onto the pavement.
In response to queries by the South China Morning Post, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said rodenticides were used “only when warranted”, and had adjusted the placement of some baits and replaced bagged baits with bait boxes.
Matt Quaife, owner of a two-year-old Labrador, Amfy, said the dog had to be rushed to the veterinarian three times in the past three months because she accidentally ingested rat poison left by the department.
The visits cost Quaife, 40, a total of HK$10,000 (US$1,300).
The first incident occurred last Christmas, when he and Amfy were walking between Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay, and the dog ate pellets that had spilled onto the pavement from a damaged bag of poison.
“The walkway is right next to the water where hundreds of dogs go every day, and they just tied the bags on the railing at the side of the walkway,” Quaife said.
“If a big Labrador like mine has five pellets, it will kill the dog by internal bleeding as it blocks vitamin K, which blocks clotting.”

While his dog did not get seriously ill after being rushed to the vet, Amfy had to return three days later for a blood test.
Amfy ingested poison again in January and March, leaving Quaife to wonder “how many dogs the department was willing to kill” in its anti-rodent campaign.
He said his pet was like his child and that the situation was similar to “someone sprinkling rat poison in your kids’ cereal”.
“You would be pretty angry,” he said.
While the FEHD had agreed to review the locations after he complained, Quaife said the one-off fixes were not enough.
“In reality, they need to fix the policy because they are addressing the single bag I complain about, rather than realising that hanging poison in front of a dog is generally a bad idea,” he said.
“What I ask of them is to have a policy of using boxes in residential areas, so the rat can get in, but obviously a dog cannot eat it.”
Another pet owner, Sophie Abarquez, who walks her four-year-old mongrel Zuko at the Belcher Bay promenade in Kennedy Town regularly, said she first saw rat poison placed in a transparent bag at the foot of a tree at the waterfront earlier in March.
“My dog went over to that specific tree and started sniffing, but the bright red pellets caught my eye, and I instantly knew that it was rat poison, so I pulled him away,” the 30-year-old said.

She posted a photo of the rat poison on a Facebook group with other dog owners, warning them about it and saying that she was concerned that the poison would affect not only pet dogs but also stray animals.
As time is of the essence in poisoning cases, Abarquez said she was also concerned that some pet owners might not live near vet clinics that are open around the clock.
The FEHD said that rodenticides were used “only when warranted”, and that the anticoagulant rodenticides being used by the department had relatively lower toxicity to dogs.
In response to queries by the SCMP, the department said the poison would be placed in lockable, tamper-resistant bait boxes to prevent accidental spillage and unintentional exposure to non-target animals.
Rat poison would be hung from sealed plastic bait bags at sites where boxes could not be used, such as on streets that were frequently washed, it said.
The plastic bags would help prevent scattering of the bait and reduce the risk of accidental consumption, according to the department.
“Hanging is done in inconspicuous locations, and where non-target animals are unlikely to visit frequently,” it said.
The department said its Southern district office had contacted dog owners to discuss their concerns.
“Having regard to the latest rodent situation in the area, the office has adjusted the placement of some baits and replaced bagged baits with bait boxes,” it said.

In 2018, five pet dogs died after eating suspected pesticide at a street corner in Sham Shui Po, a district with high rodent infestation rates.
Dr Fiona Woodhouse, deputy director of welfare services at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said pest control should be better regulated.
“Globally, it is not normal for pesticides to be put out in the public domain as they are something that is so easily accessible or can be damaged so easily,” she said.
Woodhouse said the department could also focus on other areas of rodent control, for example, reducing the animals’ food sources and living environments.
To reduce the risk of poisoning, owners could avoid walking their dogs in higher-risk areas, keep them on a short leash or even use a basket muzzle, Woodhouse said, although she acknowledged that these measures might not be foolproof solutions.


3,800 Hong Kong food outlets offering up to 30% off to celebrate National Day

Hong Kong to only admit ‘few hundred’ foreign carers a year under pilot scheme

Hong Kong reports more than 40% drop in cancer-related death rate over 30 years

Hong Kong police find no toxic substance in sports drinks initially suspected of making students ill

Hong Kong society

Rats versus pets: Hong Kong dog owners want rodent poison in boxes, not bags

Quaife’s dog, Amfy, on the way to the vet after unwittingly eating rat poison. Photo: Handout

Rat poison pellets on the footpath between Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay. Photo: Handout

The FEHD says rodenticides are used “only when warranted”. It has adjusted the placement of some baits and replaced some bagged baits with bait boxes. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Dr Fiona Woodhouse, the SPCA’s deputy director of welfare, says authorities should consider other areas of rodent control, including reducing the animals’ food sources and living environments. Photo: May Tse

HKTVmall parent firm under fire for testing how long animal heads can survive

The research project has triggered concerns over laboratory animal ethics. Photo: Getty Images

Ricky Wong, the company’s vice-chairman, disclosed in the annual results that 38 experiments were conducted. Photo: Sam Tsang

Pet owners evacuating UAE urge Hong Kong to loosen 120-day quarantine leash

Some Hongkongers have set up a WhatsApp group to seek advice on getting their pets to safety. Photo: Getty Images

Smoke rises from Dubai International Airport on March 16. Photo: AFP

An Emirates aircraft prepares to land at Dubai International Airport. Photo: AFP

News

Hong Kong

Health & Environment

Pet owners call for environmental authorities to improve rat extermination methods after one dog accidentally consumes poison three times


Pet owners call for environmental authorities to improve rat extermination methods after one dog accidentally consumes poison three times.


Pets

Pets in Hong Kong

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department

Rats versus pets: Hong Kong dog owners want rodent poison in boxes, not bags

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Pet owners call for environmental authorities to improve rat extermination methods after one dog accidentally consumes poison three times

Pet owners call for environmental authorities to improve rat extermination methods after one dog accidentally consumes poison three times