HK pet reprieve tames tenants

By Chris Hogg BBC correspondent in Hong Kong

Tens of thousands of Hong Kong household pets who were threatened with expulsion from their owners' homes have been given a last-minute reprieve.

The government had insisted that on 1 October it would clamp down on public housing tenants who were keeping pets in breach of their rental agreements.

Now, though, in the face of noisy protests from animal charities and others, it has offered a compromise.

Hong Kong residents protested against the ban

The authorities were taken aback by the scale of the protest when they announced that all animals on public housing estates would have to be removed or destroyed.

Angry marchers turned up at their offices, pets in hand.

The officials were warned if they kept their pledge to enforce the rule from the start of next month, the streets would be filled with abandoned animals.

But now small household pets, including birds, hamsters, rabbits and fish, will be allowed.

Wild or exotic beasts, or domesticated farmyard animals, will not.

Small dogs - those under 20 kilograms (44 pounds) - will likewise be granted a stay of execution.

Fighting dogs or larger breeds will have to be found new homes within a month or put down.

Deputy Director of Housing Lau Ki Hung said it was the most sensible way forward.

"We have to find a pragmatic solution to the problem. We consider through these measures we will be able to reduce the problem gradually and I think this is a way forward."

While welcoming the climbdown animal charities said it was wrong to label every large dog as a nuisance.

Owners will have to register their pets over the next four weeks.

Any who do not will have action taken against them which could result in eviction from their homes.