Page 216 - 孫方中書院－學生作品集

English Works

A Letter to the Editor

5A Tse Choi Tin, Tina

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to the news article ‘Man held after dog dies in small cage’, dated
17 April 2017. I am writing to express my concern about animal cruelty in Hong Kong. I believe
that animal cruelty is a very serious problem in Hong Kong nowadays.

Firstly, I strongly believe that the living condition of the pet poodle was poor. According to
the news, the poodle was kept in a tiny cage that was exposed to the elements on the roof.
Also, the cage was surrounded by rubbish. The living environment is not healthy for animals.
Pets should have freedom to move around, but the dog could only move forwards and
backwards in the small cage. Freedom is important for pets. It is important for their physical
and mental health. Therefore, pet owners should provide a better living environment for pets to
have a healthier life. Pet owners should provide a bigger cage and a better shelter for pets to
live.

Secondly, the care that the pet received was not good enough. The dog’s coat had been
dyed pink and it was last given food and water days ago, which showed that the pet owner
didn’t show his care to the dog and even abused it. The man should not dye its fur only for
his entertainment. Maybe he was entertained but the dog was suffering. The dye may contain
some chemicals which is harmful to the dog. The pet owner should also feed them regularly.
It is important for them to eat and gain energy. Pets need to eat as well as humans. To tackle
such an obstacle, I suggest that the government should enact a law so that the owners should
bring their pets to the vet regularly to know the health condition of their pets.
Lastly, the penalties introduced by the government may be too light that cannot deter
offenders. Anyone who is found guilty of animal cruelty faces a maximum of three years’ jail
and a HK$200,000 fine. It has been enacted since 2006 but the law against animal cruelty is
outdated. I suggest that the government should increase the penalty of imprisonment. Anyone
found guilty of animal cruelty should face 5 years of sentence. Moreover, the government can
levy heavy fines. In addition, the government should launch more campaigns to educate the
citizens and prevent the cases of animal abuse from increasing. Some non-governmental
organizations such as SPCA should also help to educate and promote the importance of
protecting animals.

I hope this letter will encourage the public to take careful note of the seriousness of animal
abuse. Animal abuse has been a serious problem in Hong Kong, we should be more serious to
deal with this problem.

Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong

214