Safety or hostility? Dog owners split over Hong Kong’s crackdown on leash rules

Hong Kong authorities’ intensified enforcement against dog owners who fail to control their pets has drawn mixed reactions, with supporters welcoming improved safety and critics warning it is stoking panic and hostility.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department carried out inspections and enforcement operations across the city on Saturday following a spate of dog attacks in recent weeks.

Among those walking their pets at the West Kowloon Cultural District despite the heat were civil servant Mark Mak, 35, his wife and their two daughters.

Mak, who owns a six-year-old dog named Mori, said he always leashed his pet in public to prevent it from wandering or coming into contact with other dogs and disapproved of owners who did not.

“The inspections and enforcement are good for protecting the safety of people and pets. They should be continued as we don’t want to see any more tragedies,” he said.

Finance sector employee Kim Chan, also in his thirties, walked his nine-year-old black labradoodle, Charcoal, at the cultural district. Chan said that although his dog was well-behaved and non-aggressive, he always used a leash to protect it and avoid affecting others.