In Ma On Shan, Hong Kong, authorities are trying to find the vigilantes who spray painted a Mercedes with the word “murderer” after the driver of the vehicle allegedly ran over and seriously injured a dog near a barbecue site and fled.
According to the South China Morning Post, closed-circuit video surveillance picked up footage of a 13-year-old dog being struck on Thursday; the video quickly went viral on social media with some online users calling for vigilante justice. The area is known for stray dogs, and there are many kind-hearted animal lovers and rescuers who regularly care for and feed the dogs as they advocate for the homeless animals as they try to find them homes.
The video showed a Mercedes Benz running over a dog lying by the roadside near the barbecue site. Two men could be seen running over and trying to stop the vehicle which just roared away.
Police were shown the photos of the car that had been spray painted with the word “murderer” in Chinese in a parking lot in Wong Tai Sin early Sunday. The car had been sprayed on both sides as well as the trunk area.
After an investigation, the force confirmed the vehicle was the one involved in running over a dog. we are not ruling out that the two incidents are related.
Police Inspector Shum King-hong
Police emphasized to angry online users that no matter what the motive, damaging someone’s property or taking the law into their own hands is illegal.
Under the law, motorists are required to stop if they hit either a dog or a cat. People who fail to report the incident to police in writing face fines and/or to a two-year jail sentence.
The dog was transported to a veterinarian hospital, but due to the severity of his injuries had to be humanely euthanized. Authorities have promised to treat this suspected animal abuse and cruelty case very seriously and punish those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.
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