Vocabulary - Cold-blooded - decry 'police apathy' - Every night our volunteers patrol the back lanes of problem districts.

- the threat to strays was worrying as winter approached - Eating cats and dogs in cold weather remains very much a deep-rooted part of culture - police inaction - The letter urges the government to pressure the police to take such cases more seriously - The government should crack down on people who abandon their pets - throwing a lasso around its neck and pulling it into a cage - was inhumane - Animal experts are urging more action to curb the abuse of antibiotics by unscrupulous pet shops. - As an immediate measure, the government should step up inspections of pet shops to stop the abuse of antibiotics and plug any legal loopholes. Both agreed that lack of expertise in veterinary pathology was a major problem because there was no training in Hong Kong. - YP: What do you think about animal welfare in Hong Kong? C: Public awareness of animal welfare has increased over recent years. But there are still many cases of animal abuse and a lot of work needs to be done to reduce the plight of abandoned animals. - when problem arise - Owners should also be more alert to the health of their pets. Pets cannot tell you that they're sick, and many owners don't bring their pets to us until they show obvious signs of discomfort, such as prolonged whimpering/whining or a lack of appetite. - A dog was seriously injured after being dragged some two kilometers - visible wounds, and the skin on the dog's front paws was practically gone - The perpetrators fled the scene, leaving the dog behind - step up patrols at locations about which there have been complaints. - striving for change - World Animal Day, we implore Beijing to join us in finding solutions for a better future for people and animals alike - mistreated the animals - denouncing the practice - vast majority - The SPCA should be applauded and assisted in its new campaign, but only when legitimate

concerns raised by some district councils have been addressed - haphazardly - No medical treatment is given when they are sick - Animal rights groups recommend that people adopt animals from animal shelters instead of buying from shops, as the animals available for adoption are all certified healthy.

How can respect for animals be promoted? I think long-term and short-term measures should be adopted to promote respect for animals. In the short-term, the penalties for people found guilty of cruelty to animals should be raised. Secondly, when police are told about allegations of abuse of animals, they must take these allegations seriously. These are criminal offences and they should be dealt with appropriately. I would actually like to see the police setting up special teams to investigate cases of animal
abuse.

As a long-term measure, the government must educate the public on the importance of showing respect for animals. I think this form of education should start at an early age, in kindergarten as our children will be the future pillars of society. I would also like to see some sort of animal festival being established, with maybe even a film being made about caring for animals. Such activities could get the message across that we should show respect for animals. I believe the government and public can work together to promote respect for animals. I refer to the report "Animal-lovers decry 'police apathy'" (November 12). The article said "The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took the weeks-old female kitten to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department." We would like to point out that the kitten was never taken into our possession or handled by our staff. The case was dealt with by the police and AFCD directly.

Animal welfare remains the SPCA's primary concern. Whenever our inspectors rescue or

collect injured animals, they will bring them back to one of our centres for assessment by our trained veterinary staff. Alexander Macalister, executive director, SPCA (HK)

How can respect for animals be promoted? Respect for animals can be better promoted if it begins at the top, that is, with those in authority having a less-than-apathetic attitude towards animal welfare. Recently, Hong Kong saw incidents of men killing dogs to eat, buffaloes being attacked with nail-studded sticks, first a puppy and then a kitten with legs chopped off, and allegations of cats potentially suffocated by workers in a park ("Woman calls police over cats 'buried alive'," November 6). These cases, together with the horrendous monthly tally of destruction at the government's kennels and numerous undocumented stories of neglect and abuse, bring shame to this world city. Police seem motivated to investigate crimes of cruelty to animals only when an incident hits the headlines; otherwise, indifference is the general response. Likewise, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department seeks to remove the problem from view despite the possible consequences and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, with its policy of "catch and kill", does little to prevent pet owners dumping unwanted animals indiscriminately. Undoubtedly there are sick and sadistic individuals worldwide - witness the apparently extensive dog-fighting activities uncovered in the US. However, animal welfare in Hong Kong could be enhanced greatly by a strong and positive commitment on the part of the government to: Enforce rigorously existing legislation; Eliminate all forms of illegal activities relating to the breeding and selling of animals; and

Educate the community that all forms of cruelty to animals are not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Jacqui Green, Okka Scherer, Lantau Because of economic advances, advertising by pet shops and various films about animals, more people are now owning pets. However, the increase in pet ownership has not been matched by a greater awareness of the need to treat animals with respect. Many people still do not think animals matter and this is an attitude we have to try to change. Wong Sze-long, Tung Chung