Husky owner did not fail to restrain dog during alleged biting incident, rules Hong Kong court
Deputy magistrate Peter Hui says even if attack did take place, it must have happened within a split second, and owner should not be held responsible
A husky owner walked free from a landmark prosecution on Tuesday, after an Eastern Court magistrate found that she had not failed to restrain her dog when the animal allegedly attacked a Chow Chow and its owner in a pet park last April.
So Tsz-mei, 29, emerged from court smiling brightly on Tuesday as the year-long legal tussle came to an end.
“I believe the law is just,” she said.
READ MORE: Prosecution of husky owner over alleged dog attack is a first for Hong Kong
The saleswoman had previously walked her six-year-old male husky, Hero, on a near-daily basis at a pet garden in Quarry Bay, each time unleashing its choke chain for it to play freely with other dogs.
That was until April 2 last year, when an incident between her dog and a Chow Chow named Teddy within the park triggered a landmark prosecution under the Pleasure Grounds Regulation.
The unprecedented case raised questions about the extent of dog owners’ responsibilities in restraining their pets within areas such as pet parks, where dogs are often set free to play.
It was alleged that Hero twice bit Teddy that night before leaving a bruise and multiple abrasions on the right knee of Teddy’s owner, lawyer Jesse Kwok Hong-yee’s son Kelvin Kwok Ming-kay, while So stood by and did nothing.