Police have arrested a man after his pet dog was found to have fallen to its death from his flat Sunday night.
The 59-year-old, who lives in private housing estate Mei Foo Sun Chuen, faces a suspected charge of animal cruelty.
A security guard found the dead schnauzer on the ground just before 11 pm and managed to identify the owner after a floor-to-floor-search.
According to the South China Morning Post, a preliminary police investigation suggests that the 17-year-old dog may have slipped through a space in the flat’s balcony railings.
The man, his wife and their domestic helper only realized the dog was missing when officers arrived at the apartment.
Read more: 21 cats, dogs rescued from suspected breeding site in New Territories village house
The dog’s carcass has been handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD).
Under Hong Kong law, an animal cruelty offence carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to HK$200,000 (US$24,746).
Last February, two men were arrested on suspicion of throwing over two dozen animals—among them cats, rabbits and chinchillas—out of his apartment. Authorities, however, did not pursue prosecution.
Reader Interactions