Owner arrested after canine kills two small dogs in Yuen Long

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has arrested an owner whose large dog attacked and killed two small canines in Yuen Long on Monday. The dog was off-leash and the owner not present at the scene during the attack.

According to the department, under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, owners who unreasonably do or omit to do any act that causes any unnecessary suffering or permit suffering to be so caused to any animal may face up to three years in jail and a 200,000 dollar fine.

One of the dead dog's owners releases a video about the Monday incident online. The owner says they were walking the dog in a Yuen Long Park before a large dog suddenly appeared and attacked the Bichon Frise. While they attempted to rescue their pet by kicking the large dog, offering it treats and spraying water at it, the 60-kilogram canine would not let go of the small dog.

Despite passersby who jumped in to help, they were unable to stop the attack because of the dog's size. The owner says they felt hopeless as they were unable to do anything but witness the death of their pet. Apart from the Bichon Frise, the off-leash dog also killed another poodle Monday afternoon.

Authorites say a dog was transferred to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department in early July after police received reports about it biting another canine.

The AFCD arrested the Yuen Long dog's owner, identifying that the dog was responsible for the July attack. The department is investigating the two cases and will proceed to prosecution if sufficient evidence is found.

A dog trainer says a lack of early socialisation training for puppies could bring out their hunting instincts and aggression as the dogs age. Under the Dangerous Dogs Ordinance, dogs weighing 20 kilograms or more must be kept on a leash no longer than 2 metres in public areas. Owners can face a maximum fines up to 25,000 dollars or see jail sentences of three months if they fail to do so.