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The occurrence of two canine incidents in the past week or so has placed mongrels at the centre of debates. This is not the first time we have had this conversation.

In autumn 1971, a 10-year-old left her home on the Tsz Wan Shan Resettlement Estate and was later found lifeless at the foot of a hill. Echoing popular opinion and turning a deaf ear to a father’s suspicions that his child may have been murdered, the authorities concluded that she was mauled to death by seven guard dogs. All seven dogs were put down, notably much ahead of autopsy results and without a formal investigation.

The unfortunate incident would soon be followed by the hardening of Hong Kong’s relationship to dogs. Along with a series of social reforms to make Hong Kong a more liveable city, an anti-dog campaign was launched to eradicate the dog “nuisance”. In 1974 alone, at least 15,000 dogs – many of which were mongrels – were destroyed.