A reward of up to HK$100,000 (US$12,830) is being offered for information on the whereabouts of two dogs that were allegedly bagged and taken from a Buddhist monastery in Hong Kong, then abandoned on a hillside on an outlying island.
Kent Luk Ka-jeep, founder of an animal welfare organisation Paws Guardian Rescue Shelter, was personally sponsoring the reward and among some 10 volunteers searching for the two mongrels on the remote areas of Lantau Island on Monday.
Police on Saturday arrested two male kitchen workers, who worked in the monastery, in connection with the case. The two dogs were allegedly grabbed at the monastery last Tuesday and then driven to a hillside on the island and left for dead.
The men, aged 46 and 65, were detained on suspicion of animal cruelty – an offence punishable by up to three years in jail and a HK$200,000 fine under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance.
Luk stressed the urgency of swiftly finding the dogs, known as “Dai Mui” and “Sai Mui” – meaning “big sister” and “thin sister” – saying “chances of finding them alive are greater if we can locate them earlier.”
He expressed worry that the two dogs might have been left inside the bag, but offered a HK$50,000 reward per dog for any information leading to their recovery “regardless of whether they are found alive or not”.
The search for the dogs began last Thursday, and more than 30 volunteers helped on Sunday.
“Dai Mui” and “Sai Mui”, who had lived at the monastery for several years, are female brown-and-black mongrels wearing a neckband and collar bell respectively, according to a reward notice that said the two dogs might be in “grave danger”.
The notice urges anyone with information on the two dogs to contact Luk at 9097 8400.
The monastery said on Friday it had immediately questioned staff after receiving a complaint about the alleged abduction and arranged for employees to search for the dogs.
A police source familiar with the case said a preliminary investigation suggested the kitchen’s female supervisor was bitten by one of the dogs, leading to the decision to remove the pair from the monastery.
The insider said the younger suspect was accused of helping the elder man to bag the dogs while the 65-year-old had driven the animals to a location called San Shek Wan on the island.
He added the suspects claimed the dogs had been released into the wild.
Police said the kitchen workers had been released on bail pending further investigation, and detectives from the Lantau criminal investigation unit are following up on the case.
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