Hong Kong lawmaker Chan Pak-chi has proposed photographing every dog from the front and side when its licence is renewed every three years, creating a fuller government database to help track animals and assess suspected breeds. He made the suggestion on August 31 as the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department stepped up enforcement involving dogs alleged to be fighting-dog types.
Chan also proposed using artificial intelligence and big-data analysis to help identify suspected non-compliant dogs and study dog-biting cases. The analysis could draw on relevant data from Hong Kong and overseas, he said.
He suggested allowing residents to submit photographs of a dog’s appearance and its location through 1823 or WhatsApp, so the department could target inspections more effectively. Chan said providing those two types of information would not breach privacy, but this view has not been independently assessed or confirmed by the government. It is also unclear whether the channels can currently receive such reports.
The proposals followed reports that dogs alleged to be involved in fighting-dog cases had been taken away by the department for further breed identification, observation or temperament assessment. InMediaHK reported that at least two mixed-breed dogs had been removed, while i-CABLE News did not specify a number.
According to InMediaHK, the department said there was evidence that the dogs belonged to the pit bull terrier type and that veterinary observation and temperament assessment could still be required even if a dog had been sterilised. The report also said officers had inspected Yuen Long, West Kowloon, Cyberport and Kai Tak, distributing leaflets and taking prosecution action over suspected failures to properly control large dogs.
The department reminded owners that dogs must be properly controlled in public places and that dogs weighing 20kg or more must be kept on a lead no longer than two metres. It announced further inspections and enforcement at locations across Hong Kong on September 5 and 6.
Liu Zhen-hai of the Animal Welfare Concern Alliance supported regulation and enforcement but called for consultation, a transition period and a review of breed definitions. He said the recent pace of enforcement could increase owners’ fear and social tensions. InMediaHK also reported that the animal rights group Home for Strays alleged the department lacked a legal basis for widening the definition of fighting dogs and had enforced the rules heavy-handedly; those allegations were not independently verified.
It remains unresolved whether the government will adopt the proposed photo database, AI analysis or reporting channels, how it will define fighting dogs, and what the final breed and temperament assessments will find.