The Society for Abandoned Animals (SAA) is urging the government to review and amend the current Animal Protection Law, saying it has failed to meet its initial intention to safeguard physically-abused animals in Macau.
“The law has only been centering the focus on pet owners, with most publishments finding their ways to them,” vice president of SAA Josephine Lau told TDM. She stressed that the law has charged pet owners for minor issues, such as failing to keep a dog on a leash and clean up waste in public areas.
However, it has been rare to see the efforts of the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) to safeguard animals who have been subjected to perilous conditions, including physical abuse, which warrants swift action by the SAR government to halt.
Lau stated that since the law came into effect in September 2016, it has had little success in protecting animals from maltreatment.
The Animal Protection Law criminalized any treatments against animals through “cruel, violent or torturous means with intent to inflict suffering on them, which leads to severe physical disability, loss of important organs or death.”
Under the regulation, an abuser is subject to a maximum imprisonment of one year or a fine of up to 120 days. It ranges from slaughtering, abandoning, inciting animals to fight with other animals or humans, to selling dogs aged under 3 months old.
The Community Services Advisory Committee, established in 2008, which serves as a platform to help communicate the public’s concerns to the government, suggests the government strengthen education in a bid to raise public awareness of animal protection.
Kou Ngon Fong, a member of the committee, stressed that legal punishment should be considered as the last resort to rectify the problem. The community should bank on heightened public awareness to preclude any abusive treatment of animals.
Over the past months, Macau saw several killings of cats. The cases have been passed to IAM and police officials for further follow-up and investigation.
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