Dog that fatally mauled handler at Hong Kong pet centre a stray awaiting adoption

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyDog that fatally mauled handler at Hong Kong pet centre a stray awaiting adoptionPawsgate in Ta Kwu Ling closed on Friday after death of owner, but residents not alarmed, saying dogs were always kept indoors at training facility 2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenKristen CheungPublished: 3:15pm, 21 Aug 2026Updated: 3:24pm, 21 Aug 2026A dog that fatally mauled its handler at a Hong Kong pet training facility was a stray awaiting adoption, the South China Morning Post has learned, with residents living nearby saying they were not worried as the animals at the centre were kept indoors. A check by the SCMP on Friday morning found Pawsgate pet training centre at Ping Yeung Tsuen in Ta Kwu Ling closed a day after the attack. But staff members returned to the facility in the early afternoon to pick up three dogs, with three remaining.According to a source familiar with the facility, the dog involved in the attack on Wong Choi-yi, the 33-year-old owner of Pawsgate, is one year and four months old. It is a brown mixed-breed weighing 30kg, which could have pit bull ancestry – a type banned from import and breeding in Hong Kong. The dog was a stray that had previously been cared for at a car park on Lok Ma Chau Road, but was left without a home when the site closed in April. It was taken in by a dog volunteer and a shelter, before being transferred to Wong’s training centre and pet hotel on August 11 and put up for adoption. Police earlier identified Pawsgate as a facility located at 111 Ping Yeung Tsuen, with a 4,500 sq ft grass lawn, a dog swimming pool, indoor play areas and dog boarding and training services. AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x