Recently, residents in various districts of Guangzhou have reported online that their pet dogs have been poisoned to death. Currently, more than 40 pet dogs are suspected to have died from poisoning, and the death toll is still rising. This incident has sparked significant controversy among many netizens.
According to reports from Southern Daily and Southern Metropolis Daily, on the evening of November 16th, the Guangdong Pet Industry Association’s official WeChat account issued a statement stating that the association has received multiple reports of pet dogs suspected of being poisoned in the Guangzhou area recently, attracting widespread attention in society.
The statement mentioned that after preliminary statistics, it has been confirmed that there are over 40 suspected cases of pet dogs dying from poisoning, with the majority of cases occurring around November 8th. The affected areas include various districts in Guangzhou, with a higher number of cases reported in Baiyun District, Haizhu District, and Panyu District, among others, excluding Huadu District and Conghua District.
Starting from November 8th, dog owners in Guangzhou have been expressing on social media that their dogs have been poisoned. Many netizens have voluntarily compiled a list of locations where pet poisoning incidents have occurred, covering multiple districts in Guangzhou including Liwan, Tianhe, Yuexiu, Panyu, Huadu, Baiyun, and more.
One pet owner, Sasha, shared that on the night of the 8th, her two dogs were playing as usual in Liwan District at Zhoumen Shiguili Square, but what was different this time was that they started running into the grass frequently and licking a specific spot in the grass. She said, “They only licked that spot, and we even chased them away from there a few times.”
When they returned home, they drank a lot of water, and Sasha thought they were just tired from playing. The next morning, she suddenly heard one of the dogs, “Coffee,” let out a painful cry and found vomit nearby. She rushed it to the vet and discovered it was kidney failure due to poisoning. She then had their other dog, “Milk Tea,” tested as well and found dangerous signs in its body, luckily managing to save it.
Subsequently, Sasha went back to the scene to look for evidence and found out that other families who were walking their dogs that night also had dogs poisoned.
A netizen living in Tianhe, Guangzhou wrote on social media that on the night of November 7th, after taking their Corgi for a walk, the dog began vomiting when they returned home. Initially, it vomited three piles of dog food and some grass, then suddenly collapsed, convulsed, foamed at the mouth, lost control of bodily functions, and started hitting things around. After examinations at the pet hospital, it was determined to be poisoning and unfortunately, all rescue efforts were in vain. The next day, the netizen found jerky in the dog’s vomit around their building downstairs and the surrounding area.
The suspected mass poisoning of pet dogs in Guangzhou has sparked attention and discussions among netizens. Some express sympathy for the innocent dogs’ deaths, while others criticize residents who walk their dogs without a leash, leading to incidents of children being bitten.
“Why is Guangzhou such a heartless place? If dog owners would leash their dogs and put muzzles on them while walking, how could they ingest poison?”
“Is poisoning not a crime? If it’s not humans who are poisoned, is it ok to brush it off? Dogs have done so much for humans, shouldn’t we seek justice for them when they need help? Is humanity so cold?”
“Now, the underground parking lots in residential areas have become a haven for dog owners to walk their dogs in cold and rainy weather, with dogs urinating and defecating everywhere. The property management staff can’t control it, and even inside the building elevators, dog owners don’t put muzzles on their dogs, causing fear among children and parents. It is necessary for dog owners to put muzzles on their dogs when they go out.”
According to the Guangzhou Pet Industry Association, the number of pet dog deaths is still increasing. Staff advise residents to walk their dogs in monitored areas as much as possible and to consider having their pets wear full-cover muzzles.
On the same day that the large-scale pet dog deaths incident in Guangzhou was exposed by the media, Red Star News reported on the 17th that netizens revealed that a young girl in Bazhong City, Sichuan Province had her left face severely bitten by a dog. The dog was unleashed and left after the attack. The property management had the dog euthanized and is now searching for the dog’s owner.
According to the injured girl’s father, Mr. Liu, his daughter is only 1 year and 10 months old, and the incident took place on November 15th at 3 pm. At that time, the nanny was with his daughter at the playground in the residential area when a small yellow dog bit the girl’s left cheek. Subsequently, the child was taken to the hospital for stitches and rabies vaccination, but her face was already severely injured.
Mr. Liu also reminded the public that dogs must be leashed to prevent dog attacks. Since this incident affects his daughter’s entire life, he will continue to seek the dog’s owner and hold them accountable.