Retired Man Denies Sickle Attack on Dog, Claims He Was Nearly Attacked and Sickle Made Contact While Defending Himself

A retired man denied a charge of cruelty to animals at Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts, claiming that while he was carrying a sickle on his way to cut grass in fields at Siu Lam Village, Tuen Mun, a mixed-breed dog named "Siu Hak" bit his family's dog and charged at him to attack, and that the sickle touched Siu Hak when he tried to block it with his hand. Acting Principal Magistrate Li Hei-ching ruled that the charge was prima facie established; the defendant defended himself saying "treat animals as family members"; Siu Hak died after being injured, and his male owner discovered the injuries and later confronted the defendant.