Smuggling of fighting dogs into Hong Kong via mainland China exposed

Investigations have revealed that pet shops in mainland China are involved in smuggling fighting dog breeds into Hong Kong, bypassing legal restrictions by instructing buyers to misreport breeds as “mixed-breed” to evade the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and quarantine requirements.

Smugglers on social media platforms have advertised services promising “direct delivery” to Hong Kong without the mandatory 30-day quarantine. Forbidden breeds, including Pit Bulls, are being sold with instructions to lie about their lineage when applying for microchips and dog licenses. Because it is difficult to identify the breed of young puppies by sight alone, authorities suspect the actual number of illegal fighting dogs in the community may be significantly higher than official statistics suggest.

In response, the AFCD and Hong Kong Customs have established an intelligence-sharing mechanism and launched joint enforcement operations with Shenzhen Customs. Legislative Council member Chan Hoi-yin has called for strengthened cooperation with mainland authorities and a review of current penalties, noting that fines for illegal animal importation are often too low to act as an effective deterrent. She also suggested implementing a multi-stage verification process, potentially including DNA testing for ambiguous cases, to better identify high-risk breeds while preventing the accidental abandonment of legitimate mixed-breed pets.