The initiative is part of a broader push to reinforce proper dog control in public spaces and prevent further tragedies resulting from lax supervision.
At West Kowloon, AFCD officers held up placards reading “Please put your pets on leash”, while distributing promotional leaflets and reminding owners to keep their dogs securely restrained.
Dog owner Wong, who was at the West Kowloon waterfront, said he believes the public is largely unafraid of dogs, provided they are properly managed.
As the owner of a large breed, he stressed that he always keeps his dog leashed and under strict control in public.
However, he questioned the long-term effectiveness of sporadic spot checks.
“Sporadic inspections like this aren’t really going to fundamentally solve the problem. Most of the time, it really comes down to owners being self-disciplined,” he said.
Another owner echoed the sentiment, suggesting that the majority of pet owners already exercise good discipline.
“If we have an aggressive dog, us owners usually already know. So in fact, most dog owners – they are quite self-disciplined, from what I see. There’s no intention to deliberately make places dirty, or deliberately attack other dogs – there really isn’t any of that,” she said.
Meanwhile the AFCD said in a social media post that it had recently seized a suspected fighting dog.
It said the animal has been taken for further veterinary observation and a temperament assessment.