2026 Jieyang dog abuse case

2026 Jiangsu dog abuse case
Date28 June 2026
VenuePublic street in Pingpu Village, Xinheng Town
Location
TypeAnimal cruelty
Participants5 minors (under 14)
OutcomeNo criminal charges (perpetrators below the age of criminal responsibility); perpetrators sent to a specialized school for corrective education
Deaths4 dogs (a stray mother dog "Wang Wang" and her three puppies)

On 28 June 2026 in Pingpu Village (坪埔村), Xinheng Town, Jiedong District (揭东区新亨镇), Jieyang (揭阳), Guangdong, China, five boys under the age of 14 killed a stray dog — widely referred to as Wang Wang (旺旺) — and her three puppies, beating the puppies with spiked poles to death, stabbing them, poking her eye out and tortured the mother dog to death by burning while yelling “smells so good, smells so good”.[1][2] The boys filmed the abuse and laughed for the entire time, and the footage spread rapidly on Chinese social media and later on overseas platforms, provoking widespread public outrage.[3][4]

Because all five were below China's age of criminal responsibility, they were not criminally charged; on 30 June 2026 the Xinheng Town government announced that they had been sent to a specialized school for corrective education.[5][1] The perceived leniency of the outcome, together with the absence of a national animal-protection law in China, prompted renewed calls for legislation against animal cruelty and drew reactions in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and internationally.[6][7][8]

Background

The dog was a stray living in Pingpu Village, a rural community in Xinheng Town, Jiedong District, where villagers regularly fed her; she was known locally as Wang Wang.[1][9] She had recently given birth to a litter of three puppies, which were about two weeks old at the time of the incident.[1] According to media reports, the dog had been beaten by the same boys prior to the incident, this time she didn't leave because her babies were held hostage.[3][10][1]

The five boys involved were sixth-grade students aged approximately 12, all sharing the surname Zhong (锺/钟).[11] Reports noted that Pingpu Village is a clan-centric settlement heavily populated by the Zhong family.[11]

Mainland China has no nationwide legislation against cruelty to animals, although some cities and provinces have introduced local rules.[4][9] Proposals for animal-protection legislation have been submitted repeatedly to the National People's Congress, including by deputy Zhao Wanping, who by 2026 had proposed such legislation in eight separate years without success.[12] Under Chinese criminal law, children under the age of 14 are, with narrow exceptions, exempt from criminal responsibility.[13][6]

Incident

Screenshot of Jieyang dog abuse case video.

On 28 June 2026, five boys, all under the age of 14, attacked the dogs in a public street area of Pingpu Village.[14][2] According to media reports based on villagers' accounts and video recordings of the attack, they wrapped an iron wire around the mother dog's neck and dragged her along the ground, beat her and the puppies repeatedly with spiked wooden sticks, and beat the three puppies to death.[14][3][15] They then used a combustion-supporting patch, poured a flammable liquid, suspected to be gasoline, over the injured mother dog and set her on fire, killing her.[2][14] In footage of the attack described by media reports, the boys who filmed the abuse themselves, could be heard laughing and shouting phrases such as "It smells so good" during the burning.[3] As the dog was dying, one of the boys gouged her eyes and stabbed her chest and abdomen with a wooden stick. They also danced and sang while beating her with an iron whip until she died.

Footage of the abuse was uploaded to local online groups and by 29 June had spread to Weibo, TikTok and Xiaohongshu, and subsequently to overseas platforms including Threads and YouTube.[5][14][4]

Official response

The Jiedong branch of the Jieyang Public Security Bureau opened an investigation into the case.[1] On 30 June 2026, the Xinheng Town People's Government issued a public notice stating that it had immediately formed a task force after the video circulated on 29 June; that education authorities had organised schools to strengthen student education; that the parents of those involved had been urged to fulfil their guardianship responsibilities; and that the five individuals involved, all under 14 years of age, had been sent to a specialized school (专门学校) for corrective education.[5][1] The notice also appealed to the public to stop spreading information related to the case and to refrain from cyberbullying.[5]

Beijing lawyer Zhou Zhaocheng observed that no criminal charges were possible, both because the boys were under the age of criminal responsibility and because cruelty to animals is not in itself an offence under Chinese law, and described placement in a specialized school as the most severe corrective measure available under the existing legal framework.[13]

Reactions

Celebrities and companies

Several public figures spoke out. Beginning on 5 July, the actor Du Jiang posted videos on TikTok condemning the abuse and calling for animal-protection legislation; the platform removed his posts three times, and he continued to repost them.[16] The removals fuelled debate over whether Chinese platforms were unduly restricting discussion of animal protection.[6] The Taiwanese actress Joe Chen published a Weibo post lamenting the case that was deleted within seconds of posting; the deletion itself became a trending topic on Weibo.[7][6][17]

Hong Kong entertainers including Steven Ma and Andrew Yuen also called publicly for animal-protection legislation in mainland China.[7][18]

A number of Chinese companies expressed opposition to animal cruelty, and internet users funded advertisements on outdoor screens in cities including Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Zhengzhou calling for animal-protection legislation; some of the advertisements were either refused to be displayed or later removed.[7][19][20]

Public reaction

People in various places around the world—such as Mong Kok in Hong Kong,[21] Taipei 101 in Taiwan,[22] Shibuya in Japan,[23] Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia,[24] Toronto in Canada,[25] and Times Square in New York City, United States[26]—have voluntarily paid for public big-screen advertisements to show their support for Wangwang and call for the enactment of animal protection laws. Protests were also held in Sydney, Australia, The Hague in the Netherlands, and Seoul, South Korea.[27][28][29]

The case provoked widespread anger on Chinese social media, with many users criticising the outcome as too lenient and calling for an animal-protection law.[15][14] Despite official appeals, internet users circulated personal information about the five boys.[14][5] Following the incident, netizens across China engaged in online advocacy, posting awareness content on social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu and TikTok, and forming private chat groups to discuss the case and organize calls for animal protection laws.[22] However, these online activities were met with strict censorship, with platforms rapidly deleting posts, throttling traffic, and banning user accounts.[22] Furthermore, law enforcement actively suppressed offline coordination; in one private chat group of fewer than 200 members, dozens were telephoned or visited by police and warned not to "incite or organize," with authorities also contacting the families of several participants.[22]

In response to an inadequate official response and the ongoing absence of animal protection laws, the public launched an economic boycott targeting Jieyang. The campaign encouraged people to refrain from traveling to the city, reject goods from local merchants, and boycott international brands with supply chains based in Jieyang in order to exert economic pressure on local authorities.[22]

Organizations

The Hong Kong SPCA said it was "deeply saddened and outraged" by the case and reported the videos to the Hong Kong police, who said they would ask Threads and YouTube to remove the footage; the SPCA said its request was aimed at removing uncensored footage to prevent distress and potential copycat behaviour.[30][4][31] The move drew a backlash from critics who argued that removing the videos would weaken public pressure for accountability; the SPCA apologised for how it had handled and communicated its actions, said it had never intended to suppress discussion of the case, and cancelled its annual Flag Day fundraiser scheduled for 18 July.[30][4][31]

Adoption platform Suppaw raised HK$95,000 for a tram campaign featuring Wang Wang, but the proposal was rejected by the tram company, which claimed the dogs' images might "affect public sentiment."[32]

On 17 July 2026, the International Organization for Animal Protection (OIPA) announced that, after receiving more than one hundred reports and appeals from citizens in Italy and other countries,[20] it had sent a formal letter to Chinese authorities and embassies requesting information about the measures adopted and calling for clear legal prohibitions on animal cruelty, psychological assessment and monitoring of the minors involved, and action against the recording and dissemination of animal-torture content.[8][9] Humane World for Animals also called for legal reforms and stronger anti-cruelty frameworks to address systemic animal abuse.[33] Online petitions demanding accountability and animal-protection legislation in China circulated internationally.[9][19] Animal advocacy organization Lady Freethinker launched a petition demanding justice for the victims and the enactment of nationwide animal protection legislation in China, gathering over 50,000 signatures as of July 2026.[34] An online petition titled "The Tragedy: Innocent Animal Lives Destroyed" was launched on Change.org, gathering over 70,000 signatures in two weeks to demand justice for the dogs and urge the enacting of animal protection legislation in China.[35]

Human Rights Watch urged Chinese authorities not to view the peaceful expressions public outrage as a threat to national security, nor to suppress public discussion of animal abuse, but instead to listen to what people are saying, whether it's about personal freedom, the rights of the public, or the protection of Wang Wang's.[36]

South Korean animal rights organization CARE called for public participation in a rally in Seoul on 25 July to commemorate "Wang Wang" and her family, and urged China to enact animal protection legislation.[28][37] The organization also launched a related petition.[38]

The Japanese animal protection group Feline Guardians Japan held a demonstration in Osaka on August 8. Citizens took to Midosuji to speak out for Wang Wang and other abused animals, demanding an end to animal cruelty.[39]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 广东揭阳4名未成年人虐狗，当地：4人已送专门学校教育 [Four minors abuse dogs in Jieyang, Guangdong; local authorities: all four sent to specialized school for education]. The Beijing News (in Chinese). 30 June 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 廣東揭陽發生未成年人虐待犬隻事件 官方通報涉事者已送專門學校 [Minors abuse dogs in Jieyang, Guangdong; officials report those involved sent to specialized school]. Sing Tao Daily (in Chinese) (US ed.). 15 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "廣東揭陽魔童虐狗 鐵線纏頸拖行、持棍狂打、火燒虐殺3狗母子". East Week (in Chinese). 30 June 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Lee, James (16 July 2026). "Backlash after Hong Kong police tells SPCA it will seek removal of Guangdong dog abuse videos from internet". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 广东揭阳通报有未成年人残忍虐狗：4人均未满14岁，已送专门学校 [Guangdong Jieyang reports minors' cruel abuse of dogs: all four under 14, sent to specialized school]. The Paper (in Chinese). 30 June 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Guangdong animal cruelty case sparks outrage; actress' post over abuse removed". The Standard. 15 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 揭陽虐狗案延燒陸港台三地 台藝人陳喬恩發聲遭「秒刪」登微博熱搜 [Jieyang dog abuse case spreads across the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan; Taiwanese artist Joe Chen's post deleted in seconds, trends on Weibo]. HK01 (in Chinese). 15 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "OIPA ETS takes formal action over the killing of Wang Wang and her puppies in Jieyang, China". International Organization for Animal Protection. 17 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Bisambhar, Prya (18 July 2026). "Dog Wang Wang: The mother who sparked calls for animal protection in China". The Animal Reader. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  10. ↑ 中國4小學生虐殺浪浪！活焚狗媽笑喊「好香」 幼犬遭棍毆爆頭 [Four primary school students in China torture and kill stray dogs! Burning mother dog alive while shouting 'smells good', puppies' heads beaten with sticks]. TVBS News (in Chinese). 13 July 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  11. 1 2 黃, 楚甯 (1 July 2026). 活燒母犬殺幼子喊「好香」！官方稱廣東4男童送管教 [Burning mother dog alive and killing puppies while shouting 'smells good'! Authorities say 4 Guangdong boys sent for correction]. Plum News (in Chinese). Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  12. ↑ 中國動物保護立法迢遙長路 人大代表趙皖平八度提案 籲虐待動物入刑 [China's long road to animal-protection legislation: NPC deputy Zhao Wanping makes his eighth proposal, urging that animal cruelty be criminalised]. 動物友善網 (in Chinese). 12 March 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 揭阳未成年人虐杀流浪狗被送专门学校｜周兆成：法律有边界，教育无小事 [Jieyang minors who tortured and killed stray dogs sent to specialized school — Zhou Zhaocheng: the law has boundaries, education is no small matter]. Tencent News (in Chinese). 30 June 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 廣東4名小六生「虐死4隻浪浪」 火燒狗媽媽還用棍棒打死幼犬 [Four sixth-graders in Guangdong 'torture four strays to death': burning the mother dog and clubbing the puppies to death]. ETtoday (in Chinese). 13 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  15. 1 2 揭陽4少年當街棍打幼犬 淋油燒死母狗 未滿14歲被送專門學校 [Four Jieyang youths club puppies in the street and burn mother dog to death with oil; under-14s sent to specialized school]. HK01 (in Chinese). 30 June 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  16. ↑ 揭陽4少年棍打火燒虐狗 男星杜江譴責籲立動保法三度被抖音刪文 [Actor Du Jiang condemns Jieyang dog abuse and calls for animal-protection law; posts deleted by Douyin three times]. HK01 (in Chinese). 11 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  17. ↑ 广东4童虐杀狗案掀众怒 陈乔恩微博发声“祈祷现世报” 贴文被秒删 [Guangdong case of four children torturing dogs to death sparks outrage; Joe Chen's Weibo post 'praying for karmic retribution' deleted in seconds]. Oriental Daily News (in Chinese). 17 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  18. ↑ 袁文傑怒轟揭陽虐狗少年泯滅人性 倡實施動保法重罰：要有同理心 [Aven Yeung slams Jieyang dog-abusing youths as inhuman, urges an animal-protection law with heavy penalties: 'have empathy']. HK01 (in Chinese). 14 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  19. 1 2 全球聲援廣東揭陽被虐殺狗母子 巨屏廣告、聯署、愛協聲明、NPV派發海報為狗狗討公道 [Global support for the Jieyang mother dog and puppies: giant-screen advertisements, petitions, SPCA statement and NPV poster distribution seek justice for the dogs]. East Week (in Chinese). 15 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  20. 1 2 Cheng, Gemini; Kelly, Ng. "Blocked by censors, China's animal lovers take fight against abuse offline and overseas". BBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "揭陽虐狗案｜旺角現巨幅廣告籲關注 愛協向港警舉報影片 避免模仿犯罪". 星島日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 15 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 鄭佩珊 (19 July 2026). "中國揭陽虐狗案：如何席捲全球各地輿論？". BBC News 中文 (in Traditional Chinese).
  23. ↑ "廣東揭陽虐狗案掀全球請願 中國疑限縮討論". 德國之聲 (in Chinese). 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  24. ↑ "Justice for 'Wang Wang': KL billboards highlight global campaign against animal cruelty". The Star. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  25. ↑ 黃楚甯 (23 July 2026). "廣東5少年焚虐旺旺案登上BBC！陸饒舌歌手萬妮達聲援動保法：世界不只屬於人類". 梅花新聞網 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  26. ↑ 廣東4童焚殺流浪犬！傳「旺旺」一家登時代廣場看板 2港星籲快立動保法 [Four children in Guangdong burn stray dogs to death; 'Wang Wang' family reportedly appears on Times Square billboard; two Hong Kong stars urge swift animal-protection legislation]. i-Media (in Chinese). 13 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  27. ↑ Iris Zhao (5 August 2026). "Brutal killing of Chinese dog and her pups sparks outrage". ABC News. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  28. 1 2 김예슬 (27 July 2026). "유기견 어미 불태우고 새끼 죽여…中초등생들 학대에 공분". 동아일보 (in Korean).
  29. ↑ "De moord op WangWang en haar pups leidt wereldwijd tot protest". Animals Today (in Dutch). 31 July 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  30. 1 2 Wong, Wynna (16 July 2026). "Hong Kong SPCA cancels fundraiser amid backlash over bid to remove dog-killing videos". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  31. 1 2 "SPCA cancels flag day after backlash over request to remove dog cruelty footage". The Standard. 17 July 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "What a Stray Dog's Murder Tells us About Chinese Civil Society". The Diplomat. 25 July 2026. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  33. ↑ "Animal cruelty issues we're fighting to solve". Humane World for Animals. 14 July 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "Justice for Puppies Stabbed, Mother Dog Burned Alive in the Streets". Lady Freethinker. 21 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  35. ↑ "Petition: The Tragedy: Innocent Animal Lives Destroyed". Change.org. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  36. ↑ "China's Police Harass Animal Protection Supporters". Human Rights Watch.
  37. ↑ "왕왕이가 홀로 지냈던 골목 왕왕이를 챙겨준 사람들... 조금은 행복했던 한 때." CARE (in Korean). 20 July 2026.
  38. ↑ "중국 유기견 '왕왕이' 가족 고문&살해 가해자 처벌 및 동물보호법 제정 촉구 - 동물권단체_케어의 캠페인 | 빠띠". 내 손 안의 광장, 빠띠 (in Korean). 28 July 2026.
  39. ↑ 港新聞 Kong News (8 August 2026). "旺旺遭虐殺引跨國聲援 日本大阪民眾上街高呼停止虐待動物" (in Chinese). Instagram.
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