Three dogs captured after woman dies from suspected canine attack in Yuen Long

Hong Kong authorities have captured three stray dogs in Yuen Long after a woman died following a suspected dog attack while cycling on Saturday.

Police and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said during a press briefing in the early hours of Monday that they had conducted a sweep of Pok Wai South Road on Sunday night to search for animals potentially linked to the fatal incident.

They captured three adult mongrels, who were brought to the AFCD’s centre. Authorities are investigating if the dogs have been microchipped.

The operation came after a 27-year-old woman died from head and neck injuries caused by a suspected dog attack.

In a press briefing on Sunday afternoon, Cheung Chun-tong, Yuen Long’s acting assistant district commander for crime, said CCTV footage filmed at around 11.40pm on Saturday showed the woman leaving Yuen Long MTR station and getting on a rental bike.

CCTV footage 15 minutes later showed three dogs chasing her while she was riding along Pok Wai South Road, Cheung said.

There were no suspicious persons or vehicles in the area. The woman’s belongings, including her wallet and phone, were intact.

She was found with injuries to her head, face, neck, legs and arms, Cheung said.

‘Fighting dog’

The incident comes after fatal dog attacks last month made headlines and prompted authorities to review the city’s regulations relating to canines.

In August, a dog – reportedly a Spanish mastiff – killed two smaller dogs in separate incidents in Yuen Long.

A woman working at a dog shelter in Ta Kwu Ling was also killed by a dog that the AFCD later said was a “fighting dog,” a legal term that refers to specific dog types with a history of being bred for dog fighting.

Fighting dogs – encompassing Pit Bull Terriers, Dogo Argentinos, Japanese Tosas, and Fila-Brasileiro – are subject to strict rules, including having to be muzzled in public. They are also barred from dog-friendly restaurants.

See also: ‘Deed, not breed’: Owners and experts push back on stigma against ‘fighting dogs’

The AFCD has since taken in at least seven canines and designated them as fighting dogs. The move has sparked pushback from veterinarians, who say aggression can occur in dogs of any breed and that blanket legislation stands to punish dogs that are well-behaved.

Authorities have not identified the breed of the three dogs that were captured following the latest incident.

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Hillary Leung is a journalist at Hong Kong Free Press, where she reports on local politics and social issues, and assists with editing. Since joining in late 2021, she has covered the Covid-19 pandemic, political court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial, and challenges faced by minority communities.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hillary completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and sociology at the University of Hong Kong. She worked at TIME Magazine in 2019, where she wrote about Asia and overnight US news before turning her focus to the protests that began that summer. At Coconuts Hong Kong, she covered general news and wrote features, including about a Black Lives Matter march that drew controversy amid the local pro-democracy movement and two sisters who were born to a domestic worker and lived undocumented for 30 years in Hong Kong.