Police investigating an attack on a dog on a Hong Kong street shortly after midnight on Tuesday have arrested a 52-year-old man.
The dog, a male mongrel, suffered mouth injuries after it was beaten with a golf club, and was taken to the headquarters of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Wan Chai for treatment.
Police were called soon after the incident happened on Cheung Wong Road in Mong Kok, about 800 metres from Mong Kok police station.
A female passer-by saw the attack outside a grocery shop after hearing a dog barking. The shop was closed at the time.
The man ran off after the woman shouted at him. She then called police.
“When officers arrived, the dog was found with mouth injuries. The case has been classified as cruelty to animals,” police said in a statement.
After detectives checked security video footage a man who matched the description of the attacker was spotted in Cheung Wong Road, a short distance from the crime scene, according to a police source.
He said officers then intercepted and arrested the man at the scene.
The source said officers were investigating the suspect’s background, and, as of 4pm the man was still being held for questioning and had not been charged.
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An SPCA spokeswoman said in addition to treating the dog, an examination would be carried out and the results preserved for any potential court case.
In Hong Kong, cruelty to animals carries a maximum penalty of three years in jail and a fine of up to HK$200,000.
Separately, a pet cat died after jumping into a tumble dryer in a laundry on Ping Wui Street, in Yuen Long, also shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
According to police, the pet’s owner, a 57-year-old woman, tried to save the cat before switching off the machine and injured her left arm in the incident. She was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment.
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