The issue has divided the public, with one group composed of individuals who have been bitten or frightened by one of China's estimated 55 million stray dogs. They mostly attribute the problem to irresponsible pet owners who abandon animals they can no longer care for, as suggested by comments on social media, as observed by Radio Free Asia.
On the other side, there is a rapidly growing community of pet enthusiasts and animal rights activists who have publicly decried animal cruelty, including events like the Yulin dog meat festival. They lay blame on the government for its perceived lack of proper regulation of dogs and their owners from the beginning.
Earlier this month, a security guard at Chongqing University of International Business and Economics was suspended for reportedly beating a dog to death. He admitted to "engaging in improper behavior" while "dealing with a stray dog."
Notably, such killings, which were also reported during the Shanghai lockdown in 2022, do not enjoy widespread public support. A recent survey by journalist Wang Zhi'an revealed that only about 10% of Chinese people support culling as a means of managing issues related to strays or undisciplined pets.
Vigilante-Style Reactions
Some incidents have triggered vigilante-style reactions from animal lovers. A police report from Guiyang in southwestern China indicated that five people were questioned after they harassed a local man who had beaten a pet dog to death after it jumped on his 6-year-old daughter.
The police issued a statement on the incident, urging people to maintain a rational and peaceful attitude online and consciously resist online violence. The man had used a shovel to kill the unleashed Corgi on October 23 after the dog jumped on his daughter as he was taking her to school.
"If these dog lovers really love dogs, they should take better care of them," read one comment under the story. Another comment criticized those who "dare to upload video of themselves telling a little girl what a bad person her father is."
The incident in Guiyang occurred shortly after a Rottweiler attack left a 2-year-old girl with a ruptured kidney, fractured ribs, and multiple lacerations, sending shockwaves across the country. The owner of the Rottweiler has been arrested, prompting governments in Anhui and Henan provinces to launch "civilized dog-ownership" campaigns, warning that unleashed dogs in public will be taken away by dog-catching teams.
The Southern Metropolis Daily, based in Guangzhou, called for similar campaigns to be implemented nationwide, a sentiment also echoed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party newspaper The People's Daily. The commentary stated that local authorities needed to take action to prevent similar incidents from becoming a focal point of public opinion.
In addition to government efforts, private dog-catchers have been reported taking pets in the eastern city of Wuxi. There have also been reports of a dog being killed in a dormitory at the Sichuan Vocational College of Science and Technology.
Uncivilized Aspects of "Civilized Dog Ownership"
Chen Kuide, the executive chairman of the Princeton China Society, emphasized that dogs and other animals often become victims of both China's legal system and social tensions. Private killings of animals, Chen stated, result from the government's failure to address the widespread killing of dogs publicly.
Animal rights activists have repeatedly pointed out that local government campaigns for "civilized dog ownership" often involve uncivilized methods, leading to the beating or removal of beloved pets without their owners' knowledge.
Geling Yan, a prominent Chinese-American writer, related the persecution of dogs to mass "clean-up" campaigns rooted in collective trauma and political discontent. Yan recalled personal experiences during such campaigns and connected them to societal frustration and powerlessness stemming from various contemporary issues.
Yan suggested that the recent dog-eradication campaigns are a result of people's sense of helplessness and powerlessness due to policies like zero-COVID and other collective behaviors. Venting this frustration, in part, has led to campaigns against dogs.
Crackdown on Counterfeit Vaccines and Education Needed
Gong Zengheng, founder of the U.S.-based animal rights group Duoduo Project, called for a crackdown on counterfeit rabies vaccines, which have hindered efforts to control the disease in some parts of China. This has contributed to the widespread fear of strays. Gong also emphasized the need to educate local officials and police on how to handle stray animals properly.
China has been promoting the idea of civilized cities, and Gong hopes that the government will include civilized dog ownership as an essential component of this initiative.
Jeffrey Li, a commentator based in Singapore, noted that those who make China's laws may live in high-end communities that do not experience stray dog problems and may be out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people. Growing economic inequality, he suggested, has contributed to a lack of empathy for other humans and, by extension, pets.
"There has long been a divide between dog owners and non-dog owners, and now it has exploded," Li said.
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