Yau Ma Tei shop remains shuttered amid accusations of selling dog and cat meat

A Yau Ma Tei shop that allegedly sold the meat of butchered dogs and cats remained closed Friday following a raid by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) a day before.

On Thursday, the AFCD and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) conducted a joint operation and seized suspected samples of dog or cat flesh at the shop located on Reclamation Street.

“AFCD staff seized suspected flesh of dog or cat for food at the shop and arranged testing. Prosecution will be instituted should it be proven,” a spokesperson for the department said last night.

Meanwhile, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said on Friday that the AFCD will step up law enforcement to combat such illegal activities.

The FEHD received similar complaints last year of the selling of dog and cat meat, but officers didn't make any findings during their patrol, and the matter was subsequently dismissed.

On that, Tse said the FEHD is mostly responsible for investigating the sale of meat, while the duty of combating the sale of dog and cat meat belongs to the AFCD.

Under Cap.167A Dogs and Cats Regulations, no person shall slaughter any dog or cat for use as food whether for mankind or otherwise, and no person shall sell or use or permit the sale or use of the flesh of dogs and cats for food.

Convicted offenders could face a maximum fine of HK$5,000 and six months imprisonment.
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