Woman held after mummified cat, dead dog found in Hong Kong flat within week

A 26-year-old Hong Kong woman has been arrested for a third time in three months on suspicion of animal cruelty after a mummified cat was found in a North Point flat, a week after the remains of a dog were discovered at the same premises.

The authorities received a report at around 4.30pm on Sunday from the female landlord, 39, of the property in The Consonance building on Jupiter Street, alleging suspected mistreatment of animals by a tenant.

She was alerted by building security after a fire alarm was triggered inside the flat. Upon investigating, she found the tenant and a liturgist affiliated with a pet funeral company conducting a ceremony for a deceased animal. The landlord then contacted police.

Officers arrived to find the mummified body of an eight-month-old ragdoll cat on the balcony. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) was called in to assist.

Last Monday, police responded to complaints of a foul odour from the same flat. Inside, officers discovered the corpse of a golden retriever and a neglected Samoyed. The woman was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty.

Further investigations led authorities and SPCA officers to a room she rented at the Marriott Hotel near Ocean Park, where three puppies – a corgi and two border collies – were found confined in a bathroom. The puppies were handed over to SPCA veterinarians for examination.