A pet salon owner has been charged with 10 counts of animal cruelty after several shocking videos surfaced showing employees slapping, kicking, choking, and beating dogs with a rattan stick.
Defendant Bui Lau-ying, 28, was initially charged with just one count of animal cruelty at Fanling Magistrates’ Court, but prosecutors have since revised the charges to account for the 10 dogs that were at the receiving end of the abuse, on.cc reports.
The outlet reports the dogs included a bichon frise, two border collies, a Shiba Inu, three poodles, a Welsh corgi, a Labrador retriever, and a Yorkshire terrier.
Bui is currently out on bail of HK$10,000 (US$1,300) in cash, but she is not allowed to work at the salon, take part in any animal-related work, leave Hong Kong, or contact former customers or former or existing salon employees.
Following her arrest, Bui’s salon, the Royal Dog House, released a statement saying that the person in the videos was not Bui, but rather another employee who had since been fired. However, the court has accused of Bui of in fact being the perpetrator of the abuse, which took place between August and December.
