Hong Kong Monastery Chef Pleads Guilty to Animal Cruelty After Tying Up Dogs

A 65-year-old chef at Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island has pleaded guilty to three counts of animal cruelty after tying up two dogs in nylon bags and releasing them on grounds far away from the kitchen.

The West Kowloon Court heard that the chef, Ng Sing-yiu, captured the dogs, known as “Dai Mui” and “Sai Mui”, on August 13 last year. He dragged and stuffed them in nylon bags and drove them to a car park in San Shek Wan, claiming their presence affected kitchen hygiene.

The dogs, brown-and-black mongrels regularly fed by monastery staff, were found the following month.

Ng has worked at the monastery for 25 years and is the main breadwinner in his family, according to mitigation letters submitted by his wife and colleagues. Magistrate Andy Cheng has requested a report to assess Ng’s suitability for community service. Sentencing is scheduled for June 19.