KUALA LUMPUR ― Hong Kong animal welfare groups are concerned that dogs may have become part of smuggling operations to China after 15 dog carcasses washed up on the island state's two beaches.

Founder of Lifelong Animal Protection Charity Sheila McClelland raised the alarm via her Facebook posting about a crate of decomposing dog carcasses found at Stanley on Wednesday (Aug 26) and Thursday, with at least one crate of 4 small dogs found on Lamma Island.

“A theory is they were being smuggled to China to reunite with their families. If they are Hong Kong dogs they are likely to be microchipped.”

“Are families likely to ram more than one dog into a crate? A terrifying journey, ending in a ghastly death,” she added.

Speaking to portal Coconuts Hong Kong, Ms McClelland said the dogs in Lamma Island looked fairly fresh while the ones in Stanley looked more decomposed.

“It sort of suggests to me that there’s an awful lot of them.”

“From an animal welfare perspective, it’s horrific.”

Ms McClelland said the dogs' owners might be unaware that their pets were being transported in such a manner.

“I think it’s impossible that they know. If they knew, they wouldn’t do it for sure,” she added.

“Presumably, a lot of them are successfully arriving in China. And the unlucky ones that either get thrown overboard (by smugglers) because they don’t want to be caught with them,” Ms McClelland said.

Police found 12 carcasses in two locked cages on Thursday morning and the case had been classified as animal cruelty.

On Wednesday, a construction worker found an animal crate that contained three dog carcasses that had decomposed.

Authorities were reported to have stopped two speedboats off Lantau Island during an anti-smuggling operation last week.

“Among items including electronics and dried abalone, they also discovered four animal cages that were stuffed with a dozen dogs, including poodles, Labradors and Pomeranians that were microchipped.

Forwarding agents suggested that the pets belonged to Hong Kongers who have moved to China due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the pets are being sent up north to be reunited with their owners.

Hong Kong customs department’s Marine Investigation Unit divisional commander Danny Cheung, meanwhile, urged pet owners to use “normal channels” to transport their animals, and not to risk their pet’s health or mental well-being. MALAY MAIL