Campaign halted after Guangdong dog killing sparks outrage

The killing of a stray dog and its puppies by four boys under 14 in Jieyang, Guangdong, has sparked widespread outrage in China and overseas, prompting Macau residents to launch petitions, a Facebook page and outdoor advertisements to voice their concerns.

The campaign has since been suspended due to circumstances beyond organizers’ control.

According to a compilation of online videos by BBC News Chinese, the incident took place June 28 in Xintang Town, Jiedong District, Jieyang, where the underage suspects were seen dragging a mother dog and her puppies through the streets and repeatedly beating them.

The videos also showed the suspects pouring flammable liquid on the mother dog and setting it on fire, while bystanders could be heard laughing.

Local reports indicated that the mother dog, named “Wangwang,” had been fed by residents of Pingpu Village, and that she and three of her puppies were allegedly beaten to death. Unverified social media posts claimed that two puppies survived the attack and were later taken in by local families.

Local authorities announced two days after the incident that police had launched an investigation. The four suspects, all under 14, were sent to a special education facility, and education authorities required schools to strengthen student education. No criminal charges have been announced so far. Reports noted that China currently has no unified national animal protection or anti-cruelty law, leaving penalties for animal abuse and the issue of juvenile responsibility unclear under existing laws.

Following the incident, many netizens shared posts on platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin, but many posts were deleted, restricted or resulted in account bans. Public criticism over the perceived leniency of the response continued to grow.

Macau residents launch campaign, ads removed

In Macau, residents launched a cross-border campaign, funding large-screen advertisements and bus ads to express concern over the killing of “Wangwang and her puppies,” calling for stronger anti-cruelty laws and improved moral education for minors.

Ads on the city’s two public bus operators featured images of Wangwang and her puppies, with slogans including “If You Can’t Love, Don’t Hurt,” “Push for Legal Reform,” “May No Animal Suffer Again” and “Build a Compassionate Bay Area.” All ads were removed earlier this month.

The Times contacted the organizer of the memorial campaign in mid-July. The organizer replied: “I put media interviews on hold yesterday because the timing is a bit sensitive right now. We may not be able to do interviews in the next few days.”

Meanwhile, a “public opinion risk warning notice,” reportedly issued by the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, has circulated online.

The document stated that the incident had continued to gain attention on domestic social media platforms, with large-scale posters calling for justice appearing on mall screens in cities including New York, Taiwan, Macau, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Zhengzhou, Taizhou, Weifang and Hohhot. The notice said the displays had since been removed.

The notice assessed that “the incident and subsequent offline poster displays carry a political risk of being maliciously linked and exploited by external forces,” warning that they could trigger online reactions and raise questions about government credibility and its handling of the case.

It also cautioned that animal rights groups could organize offline gatherings.

The notice instructed the district’s commerce bureau to conduct a review of LED screens in shopping malls to identify potential risks and urged the district’s political and legal affairs commission and public security bureau to closely monitor the situation to maintain social stability and prevent negative public sentiment.