A dog attack in Yuen Long on Aug. 17 has drawn widespread attention after a large dog, measuring about 1.5 metres in length, around 1 metre tall and weighing approximately 60kg, killed a 17-year-old poodle and a four-year-old Bichon frise in separate attacks. The dog was not on a leash and was not wearing a muzzle at the time.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said earlier that if the dog's owner intended to surrender the animal to the government, the department might carry out humane euthanasia if necessary.
The dog's current owner, while earlier giving a statement at a police station, reportedly heard AFCD staff mention that the dog would need to be "handled", but did not understand that this meant "humane euthanasia". He subsequently signed a surrender form on the spot.
The 52-year-old owner, identified as Mr. Ng, appeared at Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts on Thursday (Aug. 20) and was granted bail.
Kent, head of an animal protection group, which has been in contact with the dog owner, provided further details during a radio programme on Thursday morning (Aug. 20).
He said the dog, named "Larry", was relatively active and mischievous by nature, but there had been no indication that it would engage in such serious behaviour as biting other dogs to death.
Kent also quoted Ng as saying he was "very shocked and regretful" that Larry had become involved in the incident.
Kent previously told the media that, according to the owner, Larry is a five-year-old mixed-breed Spanish Mastiff. The dog has had a difficult history and was abandoned several times, changing owners four times in just five years.
Larry was originally purchased by a wealthy owner as one of a pair of Spanish Mastiffs. However, the two dogs frequently fought, prompting the owner to give Larry to a second owner.
Larry was subsequently abandoned several more times before eventually ending up with his fourth owner, Ng. Ng lives in a squatter hut and normally keeps Larry outside the home.
Kent said Larry had no previous record of biting other dogs. Its previous three changes of ownership were mainly due to its large size and extremely high activity level, with previous owners unable to devote sufficient time to walking the dog and therefore passing it on to others.
Larry was playful by nature and would often dash out into the street whenever its owner opened the door to take out the rubbish, squeezing through any opening in the doorway.
Regarding the circumstances of the incident, Kent quoted Ng as saying that he was at work at the time and that Larry escaped from the home by forcing its way through a broken section of the gate.
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