A shocking video of a Rottweiler mauling a two-year-old girl in China has prompted a crackdown by local authorities on stray dogs that some argue has now gone too far.
Authorities were initially praised for their swift response to the incident, but netizens soon began sharing accounts of stray canines in their neighborhood being roughly rounded up and, in some cases, put down.
The new directive to clamp down on large, unleashed dogs is being cited as the latest example of a knee-jerk reaction by Chinese authorities that also highlights the country’s long-standing struggle with animal rights and welfare.
“Just because a large dog bit a child, all of them are being hunted down by ruthless security guards and police,” one user wrote on Chinese social media Weibo under the hashtag “Will the biting of the girl bring stigma to a large dog?” viewed by almost 1 million users.
“Such a one-size-fits-all approach makes me really sad,” she said.
Video of the October 16 attack shows the girl stepping out of a residential compound with her mother in Chongzhou, in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan, and immediately being chased and bitten by a large black Rottweiler.
The mother tries to shield her daughter from the dog, but then tries to pull her back as the animal drags the child around.
A cleaner who comes to help with a broom also fails to drive the dog away.
A man finally succeeds in chasing the Rottweiler away with a wooden stick.
By that time, the mother is sitting on the ground, crying, with her daughter in her arms.
Calls to add Rottweilers to list of banned dogs after string of attacks
The toddler was admitted to hospital, where she was treated for a ruptured kidney, fractured ribs and bite marks on various parts of her body, several Chinese state media outlets reported.
Authorities caught the Rottweiler and detained its owner, according to state media.
Since then, local authorities in a raft of provinces including Shandong, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Anhui have stepped up law enforcement, some more heavy-handed than others.
Stray dogs are the main targets, but pets who are unleashed can also be subject to control measures.
Most local police said they would ramp up patrols to round up stray dogs and fine owners who fail to put their dogs on a leash.
More robust approaches include police in Yanzhou in Shandong vowing to hunt down “mad dogs” and euthanize them.
The country is home to 40 million stray dogs, according to the 2021 China Pet Industry white paper.
In the past, strays have been blamed for rabies outbreaks and authorities have attempted to control their numbers with culls.
In one case that triggered an outpouring of grief online, a small stray dog – known as Xiao Huang, or little yellow – was taken away in a net by security personnel at a university campus in Chongqing and beaten to death, according to state-affiliated media.
Many netizens were perplexed by the decision to kill a tiny dog, whose image is being shared on Weibo with the hashtag “straydogxiaohuang,” with a call for greater rights for stray dogs.
The university said the canine had entered the student dormitory, posing a threat to the safety, according to state-affiliated news outlet Beijing Time.
In Shanghai, images of police officers descending on a local neighborhood and dragging away a German Shepherd also sparked fury online.
Many netizens believe the dog was old and did not pose a danger to the community.
But Shanghai authorities said they were acting on complaints from neighbors about an aggressive dog and that it was “taken in and dealt with,” according to a post on their WeChat account.
This is not the first time Chinese authorities have been accused of being heavy-handed with animals.
During Covid, some pet owners complained that their dogs were beaten to death when they were taken away for quarantine, anecdotes that sparked uproar across the internet.
A number of netizens praised the authorities for taking proactive steps, but most warned against the consequences of going overboard.
Celebrities also joined the chorus of animal lovers to call for better understanding.
Chinese actress and singer Cya Liu, who won Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards last year, called for an end to the killing.
“Not all stray dogs are bad just as not all men are good,” she wrote on Weibo, with the hashtag “voicing out for stray dogs.”
Bo Ai Animal Protection Centre Of Guangyuan in Sichuan wrote on Tumblr-like Chinese social media Meipian that China should be using its development to instill a better sense of social responsibility and a respect for animals in people.
“Beating and catching dogs at every turn. Let the world see what our great motherland is like,” it said.
People wondered about the purpose of these 6 things and got unexpected answers
If you’re unsure, look it up on Google, or even better, ask around in the online community for the solution. These days, knowledge is at our fingertips because to the digital age we live in, which not only makes it possible for us to study a vast amount of fresh information but also connects us to other people who have interests in common.
Six individuals approached the Internet users and requested their assistance in identifying the objects they had discovered. They received their responses quickly, as was to be expected.
1. Is it trash or is there more to it?
While rummaging through the junk drawer, someone noticed something that caught his eye. This individual called the object a “scoopy doodad” and was curious to find out what it was or if it was just a piece of junk. He described it as being very heavy, unmarked, and having a very little hole on top.
The online community claims that the original Sunbeam Mixmaster included a juicer attachment, which included a bowl that attached to the mixer’s top and an odd-looking item that served as the spout through which the juice would flow. The purpose of the wire portion that is holding the little strainer is to remove the pulp.
A vintage cabinet discovered
Someone opened an old cabinet and discovered an odd device made entirely of glass with tiny holes running the length of it. They were curious to find out more, and fortunately, other users of the internet were there to inform them of their discovery.
This item turned out to be a flower frog that was used to support a vase of flowers. Have you ever witnessed anything like before?
3. A bulky glass item
Someone found a heavy glass object and asked Redditors to help him identify it. It was unmarked when it arrived, and the top had a very little hole. The people on this site knew the solution, as usual.
Perhaps you were surprised to learn that this thing was actually an oil candle.
4. An enigmatic item discovered in a bedroom drawer
A curious thing was found inside the bed drawer, leaving one Reddit member perplexed. Although the bottom seemed to be composed of soft leather or suede, they were unsure of its possible identity.
It was revealed by a user who was knowledgeable about the item’s nature that this is a nail buffer. It’s something I never would have anticipated.
5. What’s concealed beneath the flooring?
One Reddit member was having trouble identifying a silver-colored device that looked like an old-fashioned scissor. They claimed to have discovered the strange object beneath the floorboards of a house built in the 1800s.
Despite its peculiar appearance, it was discovered that this item, which was used to peel the tops off soft-boiled eggs, was widely utilized and a fixture in many homes in the past.
6. An odd discovery in a motel room
A visitor observed something in a hotel room that intrigued him enough to inquire about it with Reddit users. They couldn’t help but wonder why their bedside table had a vertical slot inside of it.
As usual, Redditors were quick to respond to this person, letting them know that a tablet or laptop may be stored in this position.
Were you aware of what these things were?
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