A clerk at Little Boss Pet Shop in Causeway Bay was diagnosed a few days ago. It is a Delta case of unknown origin. A female customer and her husband in the shop were also initially diagnosed. 11 hamster samples in the shop were initially positive for the virus, resulting in 34 hamster pets in Hong Kong. The shop must be closed immediately, and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will cull all hamsters, involving 1,000 hamsters and humane destruction, including 2,000 other small animals.
The government's approach has drawn criticism from the establishment and pan-democrats.
DAB Legislative Council member Chan Hak-chin believes that the "one-size-fits-all" approach is not appropriate, and at the same time does not respect life, and demands that quarantine be used instead of "humane treatment".
The Democratic Party's Animal Rights Spokesperson, Shatin District Council Member Zhou Xiaolan expressed difficulty in understanding this. He believed that killing 2,000 small animals and hamsters was disrespectful to animal life, and stressed that public health powers should not be abused indiscriminately.
He questioned whether cats, dogs or other animals should be "humanely treated" in the future if cats, dogs or other animals were infected.
Chan Hak-chin pointed out that he understands that the AFCD requires pet shops to suspend business, stop the import of animals, and humanely destroy small animals in the stores and warehouses involved, but "one size fits all" requires all hamsters in pet stores in Hong Kong to be humanely destroyed. considered inappropriate and disrespectful to life.
Chen Keqin questioned, since the AFCD will test animals, why can't they let go of animals with negative test results, and the hamsters in other pet stores have not come into contact with these animals, "Why does the government want to kill them?"
Chen Keqin asked the AFCD to replace the "humane treatment" of other animals in non-affected stores and warehouses with quarantine and quarantine.
Shatin District Councillor Zhou Xiaolan (right) believes that killing 2,000 small animals and hamsters is disrespectful to animal life, emphasizing that public health powers should never be abused indiscriminately.
(Zhou Xiaolan facebook)
Suspension of forced inspection is enough to deal with no need for full culling
Zhou Xiaolan said that there is still no evidence that hamsters can infect humans, and the Center for Health Protection also pointed out that further investigations are required, so all hamsters should not be killed without confirmation, emphasizing that the practice does not have sufficient scientific support.
He believes that the government's arrangement of suspending all pet shops selling hamsters, stopping the import of all small mammals, and conducting compulsory testing or quarantine is sufficient to deal with the epidemic, and there is no need for comprehensive culling.
Zhou Xiaolan criticized that if the AFCD continues to adopt the policy of "killing the wrong people without letting them go" instead of dealing with animal issues in a scientific way, it will further arouse public disgust and dissatisfaction with the department's work.
▼The pet shop Little Boss has closed all 14 stores▼
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department: It is safer to destroy hamsters humanely
The Food and Health Bureau, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department held a press conference today to explain the spread of the virus in Little Boss, a pet shop in Causeway Bay. The Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Leung Siu-fai, said that the government has decided to seize all animals in the Little Boss and Tai Po warehouses in Causeway Bay for testing before conducting further testing. Humane handling, i.e. killing the animal concerned.
In addition, all pet shops in Hong Kong that sell hamsters must be closed, and the hamsters sold must also be destroyed humanely. It is estimated that a total of 2,000 hamsters and small animals will be involved.
The AFCD urges the public to hand over hamsters to the AFCD for humane destruction if they have purchased hamsters from pet stores in Hong Kong after December 22 last year.
A reporter asked if the authorities' decision to humanely destroy all hamsters was too hasty and disrespectful to life?
Xue Hanzong, Assistant Director (Inspection and Quarantine) of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, explained: "For the sake of public health and prudence, we feel that it is safer to humanely destroy the animal species concerned so as not to spread the virus."
Hamster Humanity Destruction | Humanitarian Destruction Really Humanity?
AFCD's Humane Handling Method One article shows that Little Boss hamsters in Causeway Bay and Tai Po warehouse tested positive. The government will kill 2,000 small animals.
AFCD Humanely Destroys Hamsters in Hong Kong Pet Shops Emphasizes Safety
About 2,000 hamsters detected with Delta virus need to be handled humanely, and citizens who have recently purchased the hamster also need to hand over the hamsters
