(CN - HK) Housing Authority may relax ban on pets

[Guest guest]

South China Morning Post

http://hongkong.scmp.com/hknews/ZZZGLSI67JD.html

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

 

Solutions studied include allowing owners to keep animals until they

die, and exempting the elderly and disabled

 

by HEIKE PHILLIPS

 

Public housing tenants may be able to keep their pets until the

animals die in a concession being considered by the Housing Authority to pet

owners facing eviction under a post-Sars hygiene scheme.

 

The elderly and the disabled could also be allowed to keep pets as

companions.

 

In what animal welfare groups have welcomed as a " very promising step

forward " , the government agency yesterday said it was considering the

" grandfathering procedure " to phase out pets rather than forcing owners to

give up their animals or risk being evicted.

 

Under the original demerit points scheme - to be implemented at Hong

Kong's 160 public estates from October following a two-month grace period -

pet owners face eviction if they lose 16 points over a two-year period. Pet

ownership is one of 19 offences for which tenants will lose points.

 

But Poon Kai-tik, the Housing Authority's head of information and

communications, indicated that the rules were likely to be changed ahead of

the deadline.

 

" We are adopting an open attitude and are not ruling out any [of the

recommendations], " he said, adding that consideration was also being given

to other proposals made by a group of concerned pet owners during a two-hour

meeting on Monday.

 

" A second request made by the pet owners is to allow the elderly or

disabled people, or people with emotional problems, to keep companion

animals, " he said.

 

" A third recommendation under consideration is to remove smaller

animals such as goldfish, birds and rabbits from the list of prohibited pets

and to be open to the number of such pets. "

 

Mr Poon stressed that while the requests were " reasonable " , the

authority also had a responsibility to those tenants who were concerned

about the animals causing a nuisance or compromising hygiene standards.

 

More " ambitious " changes such as permanently lifting the ban on pets

in housing estates and the practicalities of introducing some of the

proposals would also need to be further discussed, he said.

 

" Some of the ideas could be difficult to implement; for example, the

keeping of pets would require a change to the tenancy agreement and the

licensing of all pets would be a tremendous job which somebody would have to

pay for. "

 

Pauline Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Coalition of People Concerned

about Pets in Housing Estates, which met the Housing Authority on Monday,

said costs could be recouped through registration fees, payable by pet

owners.

 

" A small fee would be warranted. We estimate there are about 300,000

animals in public housing in Hong Kong, so even charging a $10 fee can get a

lump sum of money that would pay for a registration system, " she said.

 

Dr Taylor, who is also the deputy executive director of the Society

for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said she understood the

authority's concerns about irresponsible pet owners but said existing laws

and fines could serve as adequate safeguards for other tenants.

 

" I agree that if a dog barks non-stop or fouls a public area, the

owners should be fined. All we're asking for is a relaxation of the concrete

ban of domestic pets, " Dr Taylor said.

 

Mr Poon said further meetings will be held with the coalition of pet

owners over the next few weeks to find a balanced solution. The Housing

Authority will decide on any changes to the scheme or the need for a further

extension on the grace period ahead of the deadline.