Recently in Jieyang, Guangdong Province, four teenagers were seen abusing dogs on the street. A mother dog named “Wang Wang” was beaten with sticks and then doused with oil and set on fire. Additionally, a newly born puppy was also abused to death. After the video of the incident spread, it sparked public outrage with numerous comments flooding various social media platforms. Several celebrities spoke out against animal abuse and called for legislation to prevent such acts.
The incident took place in a village in Xinheng Town, Jiedong District, Jieyang City, Guangdong.
The video footage shows several teenagers in the village committing brutal acts, first beating the mother dog with a wooden stick and then stabbing the defenseless newborn puppy with a club, resulting in the death of the puppy.
In the face of the mother dog’s agonizing cries, the teenagers not only did not stop but instead escalated the violence by pouring fire oil on the already injured mother dog, burning her alive, in a heart-wrenching scene. The entire act of violence was cruel and shocking.
Reports indicate that there is a circulating chat record on online platforms, allegedly from a parent of one of the teenagers involved, expressing outrage at their child’s behavior and mentioning plans for disciplinary actions upon their return home. Attempts to contact relevant local departments on June 30 went unanswered.
After the video went viral, it stirred up public anger. A netizen with the username “PL” stated that after seeing the footage, they experienced insomnia, loss of appetite, and a significant mental impact.
“PL” joined online animal rights advocacy groups and connected with netizens from various regions.
However, due to strict control by the Chinese Communist Party, posts by netizens on some social platforms were quickly deleted or censored, and some accounts were even suspended.
Amidst the collective outrage, some celebrities raised their voices. Reports mention that posts from Chinese mainland actor Du Jiang and Taiwanese actress Joe Chen were taken down, and the trending topic “Joe Chen’s Post Deleted Instantly” was also blocked.
Subsequently, netizens shifted their discussions to overseas platforms like Threads. “Our voices cannot be heard, so many people are actively sharing on our behalf,” said PL.
Large advertisements began to appear in different cities worldwide. Netizen “CK” spent NT$30,000 to place an ad near Taipei 101.
Ms. Chen, a Chinese residing in the United States for many years, upon hearing about ads being placed near Times Square in New York, met with friends to take photos holding banners saying “Justice 4 Wang Wang” and shared them on social media.
Two days after the incident, the government of Xinheng Town, Jiedong District, Jieyang City, announced that an investigation had been initiated, and the four individuals involved, all under 14 years old, had been sent to a special school for education.
According to a report by BBC Chinese, there is no national law in China for animal protection or against animal abuse. Moreover, as the perpetrators are minors, there have been no criminal charges filed in relation to this incident.
Analysts point out that China has seen numerous cases of animal cruelty in recent months, causing societal trauma and ongoing turmoil, hoping that this incident will push the government to enact legislation to prevent such atrocities.