Chinese man traps dog in churning washing machine to 'clean' it
Hong Kong police have launched an animal cruelty investigation after a man joked online about killing a dog by trapping it inside a churning washing machine.
The man uploaded a series of images on his Facebook page last month showing a small, white dog attempting to climb out of the machine and struggling to keep its head above water with the washing cycle in full flow.
A police spokesman told AFP on Sunday that the case was being investigated.
"A picture has been posted on the Internet of an animal suspected of being tortured. It is a case of animal cruelty,” the spokesman said.
'Bathe a doggy'
The man, whose account name is Jacky Lo, said he posted the photos to show "a super quick way to bathe a doggy".
Someone asked him on Facebook if he had killed the dog, to which his reply was: "Yes (it’s dead). Do you wanna see?"
An online petition urging the authorities to take action went viral last week and has drawn nearly 20,000 signatures.
Ms Belinda Heng, a signatory of the petition, wrote: "If you really are a pet lover you will not (be) so cruel to kill such a cute little dog. Come on you are a man, not a beast."
'Truly horriffic'
Under Hong Kong laws, animal cruelty offences carry a maximum sentence of three years' jail and a fine of HK$200,000 (S$32,000).
Police said no arrests have been made so far.
Ms Rebecca Ngan, a spokesman for local animal protection group the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said: "It’s truly horrific. No one should do that. Police should arrest him."
Source: AFP
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