Hong Kong Animal Ban Forces Tenants To Relinquish Pets

by Sherry Morse and Patricia Collier

A plan to improve cleanliness in Hong Kong’s public housing units has drawn sharp criticism from animal lovers and animal rescue groups because it includes a strict ban on animals - except for a limited number of birds and fish - and requires tenants to remove even their existing pets, as well as forbidding new ones.

Calling it the "Estate Marking Scheme", the Public Housing Authority said tenants will be allowed to keep no more than one tank of fish and one or two birds in a cage in their homes. The birds will have to be removed if neighbors complain about them.

All other pets will be banned.

The new rules officially took effect Aug. 1, 2003. Family currently living in public housing who cannot find homes for their pets or homes where they can keep their pets, will be faced with eviction, turning their animals over to authorities, or abandoning their pets.

Such families will have a two month grace period to remove their animals, according to the Housing Authority, but will still be penalized five points for having the pets.

Under the new program families accumulating sixteen points for violations within two years will be subject to eviction.

The Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is concerned the new rules will create several problems including:

* Increasing the number of stray animals, as families abandon their pets.
* Creating a bad example for future generations by forcing pet owners to give up their pets which contradicts the ideas of responsible pet ownership and keeping a pet for life.
* Tarnishing Hong Kong’s image as a metropolitan city by causing the inhumane treatment of animals.
* Denying public housing tenants the stress relief and other psychological benefits animals can provide.
* Deepening class discrimination by singling out public housing tenants and creating ill will towards the housing authority and the government.

The SPCA has asked the Housing Authority to let current tenants keep their pets for the remainder of their natural lives.

The SPCA has also proposed a pet registration system to control the number of pets in public housing as well as the adoption of rules and regulations to ensure responsible pet ownership among tenants.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.