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Leopold Chen

Hong Kong authorities have expanded their search radius to capture stray dogs and installed new surveillance cameras in the area where a suspected fatal canine attack took place, in a bid to “completely remove” safety risks in the neighbourhood.
The heightened measures came three days after a 27-year-old woman was found dead on a cycling path in Yuen Long after being chased by three dogs. She suffered lacerations to her head, face, neck, arms and legs, with some of the wounds believed to have been fatal.
The attack occurred in a rural area along Pok Wai South Road, which has a river on one side and warehouses and fish ponds on the other.
Dr Jackie Yip Yin, assistant director for inspection and quarantine at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), told a radio show on Tuesday that there had been difficulties in tracking down unattended dogs in a “relatively large area”.
She said officers from the department and police were expanding the search radius to capture stray dogs in the wake of the suspected canine attack on Saturday evening.
“Our current review focus is to look beyond just the main road itself and check the surrounding vicinity as well. Since the dogs might roam around those areas, we want to ensure that the risks in the neighbourhood are completely removed,” she said.
“Our goal is to locate as many unattended dogs in the area as possible, and this operation will remain ongoing for some time.”


A source said it was still too early to determine whether the captured dogs were involved in the attack, adding that the animals did not appear to be unusually aggressive, making it difficult to draw any conclusions at this stage.
The AFCD earlier said it had conducted seven search-and-capture operations from June to August following four canine nuisance complaints in that area, but had not found any stray dogs.
Police also said the force had installed four sets of temporary security cameras in the area to track stray dogs and “improve the efficiency of capture operations”.

The move came a day after Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said authorities should consider more factors before installing additional security cameras in the low-crime area.
“If stray dogs or other animals posing potential danger to the public are spotted, we will immediately notify the AFCD to arrange timely control operations to safeguard public safety,” police said on Tuesday.
The force previously said they suspected the woman had been mauled to death, but further investigation was needed to confirm whether the dogs had indeed attacked her, as wild boars were also present in the vicinity.
A joint search by the AFCD and police led to the capture of five stray adult mongrels in the area, including two on Tuesday. Authorities said earlier that they would conduct DNA tests and bite mark analyses to determine whether the animals caught were involved in the attack.


Yip said the department received more than 1,000 stray dog-related complaints annually in recent years, including concerns about their gathering in packs and scavenging through rubbish for food.
But the number of complaints had decreased by 90 per cent over the past 20 years, she noted.
“No matter the circumstances, even a single tragedy is one too many,” Yip said. “In the short term, when dealing with stray dog black spots, such as the current area, we will conduct risk-based capture operations.”
Captured canines would be sent to the AFCD’s animal management centre for inspection, she said. Those with good temperaments would be sent to partner organisations for public adoption, while those deemed to pose public safety threats could be euthanised.
“Looking beyond that, we must also consider whether enforcement efforts in certain places need to be stepped up – specifically regarding legal action against irresponsible dog keepers, requiring proper control and enhancing public education,” she said.

Under Hong Kong law, injuring animals, causing them unnecessary suffering or neglecting their care are all considered animal cruelty, which is punishable by a HK$200,000 (US$25,492) fine and up to three years’ imprisonment upon conviction.
Separately, animal abandonment is an offence under the Rabies Ordinance and carries a maximum penalty of a HK$10,000 fine and six months’ imprisonment.
Police said they had received 50 reports of animal cruelty in the first seven months of this year and arrested 37 people. For the whole of 2025, the force recorded 76 such cases and made 47 arrests.
Appearing on the same radio show, agriculture and fisheries sector lawmaker Chan Pok-chi noted that it was still common among dog owners in rural Hong Kong to allow their pets to roam freely, with some choosing not to microchip the animals to avoid responsibility if any mishaps occurred.


“The root of the problem must lie in dog owners,” he said, noting that it was a statutory requirement for owners not to abandon their dogs and to keep them from roaming unattended.
“Some exploit [enforcement] loopholes by saying the dogs came [to them] on their own, or that they regularly feed the dogs while refusing to take up the responsibility of being dog owners. This is extremely undesirable.”
Chan said that authorities would need to take more pre-emptive steps to manage a potential rise in dogs being abandoned in the area during land resumption efforts for the Northern Metropolis megaproject.
Without going into specifics, the lawmaker said a “multipronged” solution was needed to engage different stakeholders, including dog owners and community organisations.
The latest attack followed another fatal incident in late August, when a 33-year-old dog handler died after being mauled by a dog at her training facility in Ta Kwu Ling.
Days before that attack, a large unattended dog killed two smaller canines in Yuen Long town centre, leading to the arrest of its owner.
Additional reporting by Danny Mok


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Hong Kong society

Search for stray dogs expanded as new CCTV cameras installed in Yuen Long

An AFCD officer scans a dog for microchip information at a Yuen Long storage yard on Monday. Photo: Kit Lai

AFCD personnel capture dogs in the area on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

Footage from CCTV cameras installed at a sewage pumping station on Pok Wai South Road showed a pack of dogs chasing the 27-year-old woman on the cycling path. Photo: Kit Lai

Hong Kong police and AFCD officers search for stray dogs in Yuen Long on Monday. Photo: Kit Lai

Dog paw prints on the cycling path of Bok Wai South Road in Yuen Long. Photo: Kit Lai

Bite-mark, DNA tests used to identify dogs after woman dies in suspected attack

Hong Kong police and AFCD officers search for dogs involved in a suspected attack on a cyclist. Photo: Kit Lai

In August, a 33-year-old woman who operated a canine training centre in Ta Kwu Ling was attacked by a dog at the facility. She was later found dead nearby. Photo: Edmond So

Woman chased by 3 dogs before suspected fatal attack in Hong Kong

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and police conducted dog-catching operations in the area on Sunday night. Photo: Handout

News

Hong Kong

Society

Hong Kong authorities ramp up public safety efforts and monitor area beyond road where cyclist was suspected to have been mauled to death


Hong Kong authorities ramp up public safety efforts and monitor area beyond road where cyclist was suspected to have been mauled to death.


Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD)

Animal welfare in Hong Kong

Animals

Search for stray dogs expanded as new CCTV cameras installed in Yuen Long

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hong Kong authorities ramp up public safety efforts and monitor area beyond road where cyclist was suspected to have been mauled to death

Hong Kong authorities ramp up public safety efforts and monitor area beyond road where cyclist was suspected to have been mauled to death