Pets dumped amid SARS uncertainty in Hong Kong

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s836135.htm

 

Sunday, April 20, 2003. 2:28pm

Pets dumped amid SARS uncertainty in Hong Kong

 

As the mystery surrounding the source of the killer

SARS virus continues, rumours that animals or pets

could carry the disease may have turned some of man's

best friends into Hong Kong's worst enemies.

 

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has now

killed 82 people in the city and infected more than

1,300.

 

However, six weeks after erupting in the city,

officials remain unsure of the virus' exact mode of

transmission.

 

After declaring shortly after the outbreak the SARS

virus was transmitted by droplets from sneezing or

coughing, authorities were forced to backtrack after

an intense outbreak at Amoy Garden public housing

estate infected hundreds of residents.

 

Health experts investigating the block speculated that

rats or cockroaches could have carried infected waste

from sewage pipes into the flats.

 

However, it was reports that a cat owned by a family

in the infected block had been reportedly carrying a

coronoavirus that sent frightened petowners rushing to

dump their furry friends back at the nearest pet shop.

 

 

Mannie Yiu, 31, said she had been forced to

reluctantly hand her three-year-old Scottish terrier

" Gum Gum " to relatives two weeks ago after residents

in her housing complex lodged numerous complaints to

management.

 

" When rumours that pets could transmit the SARS virus

began, people in our housing block got scared and

demanded we get rid of him (Gum Gum), " she said.

 

" When we refused they started to complain to the

management.

 

" One man said he would throw him out of the window if

it went near his flat ... eventually they held a house

committee meeting and voted that we could not keep him

so we had to give him to my elder cousin. "

 

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

(SPCA) in Hong Kong said there had been a surge in

petowners trying to return their animals due to the

outbreak of SARS which has struck fear into many

residents.

 

" There has been a increase of animals being left on

our doorsteps and being left in the streets in cages -

rabbits, hamsters, mainly furry animals which were

associated with causing chest infections, " SPCA acting

executive director Pauline Taylor said.

 

" The number of phone calls from concerned petowners

has also increased.

 

" But we have told them that their is no evidence to

suggest pets are involved in the transmission of SARS

and we have urged them to keep their pets.

 

" When SARS first hit the headlines there was huge

panic.

 

But now people are generally being more sensible than

a few weeks ago, " she said.

 

A shop assistant at Q-Pets pet store, Jamie Chan, also

said there had been " a number " of owners who had tried

to return rabbits and guinea pigs.

 

" We have turned down most requests, but last week we

had to take back one white rabbit after its owner

bought it back and threatened to kill it if we didn't

accept it, " she said.

 

Renewed fears over animals emerged on Wednesday after

a team of Hong Kong scientists confirmed the

coronavirus which sparked the global SARS outbreak had

come from animals.

 

" It comes from an animal source, but at this stage, we

don't know what animal, " Malik Peiris, chief of

virology at the faculty of medicine at the University

of Hong Kong.

 

However, " it is possible to conclusively say it is a

new virus, " not of any kind seen before, he said.

 

The news was greeted with a mixed response from

petowners in the territory.

 

" If it is proven that there is a link, then I will be

forced to get rid of 'A-Mui' - we have kids and we

have to protect their health at all costs, " Timothy

Cheung, said who was out walking his 7-year-old

spaniel.

 

However, Li Kwok-hung proved that the bond between man

and dog remained strong, at least among some owners in

Hong Kong.

 

" Doesn't matter if there is a link or not - Prince has

been with us for seven years now and he's part of the

family - anyway, my kids would kill me if I got rid of

him. "

 

 

 

 

 

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