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Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, (in the absence of the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food), at the Legislative Council meeting today (May 9):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council of the following in the past three years:
(a) the amount of expenditure the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) incurred each year on handling stray dogs which were implanted with microchips;
(b) the number of microchipped dogs which had been abandoned and caught or received by AFCD each year, broken down by AFCD's Animal Management Centres; and among such dogs, the respective numbers of those which had been reclaimed by their owners, had been adopted by others and had not yet been adopted; whether the owners who reclaimed their dogs or the adopters were required to pay any fees; if so, of the details;
(c) how AFCD handled cases in which owners of stray dogs declined to reclaim their dogs; whether such dog owners would be subject to a fine; if they would, in each year, the number of cases in which the dog owners concerned were fined, the amount of fines generally imposed, the number of cases in which the fines have not been fully settled to date and the total amount of outstanding payments; and
(d) how many stray dogs which had been implanted with microchips were euthanized each year, and the amount of expenditure involved?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) In the past three years, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) spent on average about $320 000 a year on handling stray dogs implanted with microchips ("microchipped stray dogs", i.e. stray dogs that previously had owners and were implanted with microchips). The expenditure mostly covered catching of/taking in microchipped stray dogs; contacting owners to reclaim the dogs or arranging for their adoption; and arranging for euthanasia when necessary.
(b) The annual number of stray dogs caught or taken in by AFCD in the past three years, broken down by Animal Management Centres, is shown in Table 1.
To reclaim a microchipped stray dog, a dog owner has to pay a handling fee of $565 and a daily pound fee of $40.
(c) Upon catching/taking in microchipped stray dogs, AFCD will promptly contact their owners to reclaim their dogs. In case the owners refuse or fail to reclaim the dogs, AFCD will revoke their status as dog owners and the dogs will be taken over by AFCD for disposal. In cases of sufficient evidence, AFCD will prosecute the dog owners under the Rabies Ordinance, with a maximum penalty of $10,000 fine. The annual number of prosecutions against owners of microchipped stray dogs in the past three years is shown in Table 2.
Since the fines were awarded and executed by courts, AFCD did not have the data on cases of outstanding payments.
(d) The annual number of stray dogs implanted with microchip euthanised by AFCD and the approximate expenditure over the past three years is shown in Table 3.
Ends/Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:35
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