Hong Kong man gets suspended jail sentence for attempting to feed painkiller-stuffed sausages to neighbour’s dog
- Cheung Kwok-ying, 69, says he was not aware of the possible side effects of offering painkillers to a dog, adding he only wanted to quiet down the animal
- But Deputy Magistrate Philip Chan says it is common sense that such medication is only meant for an adult person and should be taken in limited dosage
A Hong Kong man has been given a suspended jail sentence for stuffing painkillers into sausages for his neighbour’s dog in an attempt to silence the animal.
Cheung Chau resident Cheung Kwok-ying, 69, had prepared two sausages, each containing three cortal (aspirin) tablets for the dog, named Happy, after finding it very noisy on November 20, 2019.
But his plan was thwarted by the pet owner, who discovered the pills in time to save Happy, after she noticed Cheung putting his hand through her garden fence, leaving behind the sausages, while she was on her way home.
Upon arrest, Cheung said: “The woman’s dog had been noisy for eight months. I just wanted the dog to quiet down.”
On Thursday, Cheung was found guilty of attempted cruelty to animals, and sentenced to four weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Eastern Court heard Happy’s owner had moved in next to Cheung’s house four years ago. Cheung said there had been serious noise problems since March 2019, with the dog barking at night, till about 9.30pm, causing him distress.
At trial, Cheung said he gave Happy the tablets he would use to get relief from his gout and knee pain, hoping that the medicine would make the dog feel tired.
