Information about dog attacks on South Lantau

Frances根據公開資料要求漁農自然護理署披露資料

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要求成功

Dear Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department,

Please provide the following information:

1. How many dog attacks were registered with the AFCD on South Lantau in 2023

2. The location of these attacks

3. The outcome of these attacks (prosecution etc)

4. Whether there were reoccurrences of attacks by the same dog/group of dogs after an attack had been registered with the police / AFCD? If so, how many?

5. As a government department, do you believe that enough is being done to protect residents and visitors from dog attacks?

6. Do you believe that residents and visitors are aware of the dangers of dog attacks when hiking, running or visiting South Lantau? If so, please provide details of how this information is being made available.

Yours faithfully,

Frances

漁農自然護理署

Dear Frances,

Referring to your request dated 4 January 2024, our reply is as follows:

In 2023, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD)
received a total of 32 reported cases of dog attack in the South Lantau
District. The breakdown of these cases is as follows:

No. of dog attack cases
Mui Wo Area 23
Pui O Area 7
Cheung Sha/ Tong Fuk Area 2

Out of these 32 cases, all have been thoroughly investigated and resulting
in one conviction. Currently, nine cases remain under investigation, while
the investigation of 16 cases have not been continued due to various
reasons, such as victims being unwilling to provide information of the
incident.

There were 10 reports of suspected reoccurring dog attacks at the vicinity
of Mui Wo Ferry Pier in 2023. The suspected biting dog was eventually
caught and removed in November 2023.  Since then, we have not received any
further reports of dog attacks at the Mui Wo Ferry Pier.

Upon receipt of a dog bite case, the AFCD will proceed with an
investigation in accordance with the Rabies Ordinance (Cap. 421) and
Dangerous Dogs Regulation (Cap. 167D). During investigation, an AFCD
officer will contact the dog owner and the victim to collect all relevant
details about the case, including the course of the incident, the biting
location and specific details about the dog involved. The dog in question
when found will be isolated for rabies observation, generally for seven
days starting from the day of the biting incident.  

In the event that the victim reports the biting dog as a stray, the AFCD
officer will conduct inspections of the incident location and attempt to
capture the alleged dog matching the characteristics provided by the
injured person. If the dog is microchipped, our staff will contact the dog
owner and proceed with an investigation. If there is sufficient evidence,
the AFCD will take legal action against the dog owner.

To achieve the goal of social inclusion as well as to resolve the nuisance
caused by pet dogs, other than law enforcement, self-discipline and
co-operation from the dog owners are of equal importance in dealing with
the issue in the long term. In this connection, this Department will
continue to educate dog owners on keeping their dogs under proper control
in public place to reduce unnecessary nuisance to the public.

Regards,
Calvin CHAN
for Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation

From:        Frances <[FOI #1486 email]>
To:        "FOI requests at Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
Department" <[Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department request email]>
Date:        2024/01/04 上午 09:41
Subject:        Freedom of Information request - Information about dog
attacks on South Lantau

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Dear Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department,

Please provide the following information:

1. How many dog attacks were registered with the AFCD on South Lantau in
2023

2. The location of these attacks

3. The outcome of these attacks (prosecution etc)

4. Whether there were reoccurrences of attacks by the same dog/group of
dogs after an attack had been registered with the police / AFCD? If so,
how many?

5. As a government department, do you believe that enough is being done to
protect residents and visitors from dog attacks?

6. Do you believe that residents and visitors are aware of the dangers of
dog attacks when hiking, running or visiting South Lantau? If so, please
provide details of how this information is being made available.

Yours faithfully,

Frances

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