Hong Kong police said preliminary inquiries had found no evidence that a widely circulated video showing a dog being put inside a washing machine was filmed in the city. The footage shows the machine being switched on and filled with water, with the dog tumbling inside the drum and becoming wet. Police said the investigation would continue.
Police received an electronic report linked to the social media footage on August 29. The case was referred to the Mong Kok district animal crime team and was described in reports as either a request for police investigation or a request for police assistance.
The footage drew attention and condemnation from internet users in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Western countries. The supplied reports do not establish where or when it was recorded. One report referred to a video, while another described two clips circulated on Instagram Stories; it is not clear whether these were different parts of the same incident.
According to a Ming Pao report, the Instagram account involved was held by a mainland Chinese student living on the mainland. Police had contacted the man, who said he had reposted the footage from social media and was not the person who filmed it. His role in the incident has not been established.
In an update reported on September 1, police said they would continue investigating, including examining the uploader’s role. No arrest had been reported at the time of the source coverage, and the filming location, the number and relationship of the clips, and the dog’s condition remained unconfirmed.