Hamster Owners Do Not Want the Hong Kong Government To Cull Their Pets in Fear of COVID-19 Infection

Hamster Owners Do Not Want the Hong Kong Government To Cull Their Pets Due to COVID Infection

(Photo : Louise Delmotte/Getty Images)
HONG KONG, CHINA - JANUARY 20: Volunteers rush to adopt the hamsters being surrendered by their owners to the government outside the New Territories South Animal Management Centre on January 20, 2022 in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong's pet shop owners have criticized but complied with a government decision to cull hamsters and temporarily ban imports of small animals over possible Covid-19 transmission links to humans. Though no existing literature suggests a link, the territory will proceed with the cull, angering many pet owners and animal rights advocates.

Hamster owners are up in arms as the planned cull of their pets is not desired. They cannot stand to think the government would kill the cute rodents viciously.

To many of them, killing as many as 2000 hamsters is like genocide. Others dare to kill them first before allowing the cute pets to die. No one thought the outrage of killing the house pets that might not be conclusively infected with COVID-19.

Hong Kong to cull 2,000 hamsters in fear of COVID-19

A response from countless people living in Hong Kong who would adopt the cute rodents that their owners would abandon, reported the Mirror.

According to authorities who informed 2000 small animals from many pet shops and storage facilities were killed last Tuesday. The reason for the slaughter is a coronavirus outbreak in the Little Boss pet shop, with 11 of the hamsters catching the virus.

One hamster owner was adamant that her pet would not be killed and said let her be killed. The animal was bought last January 1, but they took the pet away when tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, cited France 24.

Speaking to The Standard in its local office, if the tests are negative, one has the right to take her hamster only if anyone kills her.

Furious over how the government treats pets as animals, the unidentified woman asked if they would slay all infected COVID patients and contacts.

Study says hamsters cannot transfer virus to humans

Many scientists abroad with Hong Kong health and veterinary authorities have doubts about what the administration claims as a viral infection in small animals. Neither do they significantly impact its transmission to hamster owners nor is the cull of their pets seen as necessary.

Health Secretary Sophia Chan has mandated a Covid zero-tolerance approach, which does not allow any off-chance that the hamsters would spread the disease. No changes will be allowed to pass.

Like something out of a movie, Hazmat-wearing workers were seen in the several pet shops in the city proper. They were carrying red-colored plastic bags in the vans they rode. About 150 pet shop customers were forced into quarantine.

One outlet said that a few owners were bringing their hamsters to a government facility in the New Territories. On Facebook, a page was made to reach out to possible adopters of ownerless pets. Some owners were afraid, so they gave up on the cute animals.

A hamster owner and administrator of "Hong Kong the Cute Hamster Group," Ocean, 29, wrote on Telegram. About 3,000 people would be willing to care for the pets in the meantime. An effort among the netizens to save the cute pets was in progress.

Ocean added that the family forced three owners to abandon their beloved pets, some more than a year old. They don't know what can happen to their pets if they follow the government.

Bowie, 27, now has two hamsters in his care after contacting the group. He added it was silly about the culling, saying it could be cats, dogs, or even rabbits!

Local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) told owners not to abandon their pets and observe protocols.

Many hamster owners fear the cull of their pets as the government has given zero tolerance to any chance of starting an outbreak. There are doubts is the threat is valid as the local SPCA.