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.
Brave Mother Dog Jumps and Sacrifices Her Life To Protect Her Poor Cubs Under A Falling Tree
When it comes to the power of motherly love, no one can deny the extent to which a mother will go to protect her progeny. This is notably true in the animal kingdom, where maternal instincts are essential for survival. One such instance of this can be seen in the narrative of a mother dog who sacrificed herself to save her offspring in front of a fallen tree.
In this endearing tale, a mother dog and her young puppy were out for a walk when they came across a fallen tree obstructing their path. The infant was too small to clamber over the tree, and the mother dog knew that she had to find a means to assist her little one. With no other options available, the mother dog made the ultimate sacrifice and settled down on the ground, creating a makeshift bridge for her puppy to traverse over the tree.
As the infant made its way across the mother’s back, the weight of the little one proved to be too much for the mother dog, and she was unable to get back up. Despite her immense agony and discomfort, the mother dog remained in the same position until assistance arrived. Her altruistic act of love had saved her puppy’s life, but it had come at a tremendous cost to her own.
This tale is a testament to the power of motherly love and the extraordinary extent that a mother will go to protect her young. It is a reminder that love knows no bounds and that the bond between a mother and her child is unbreakable. The mother dog’s sacrifice is a genuine example of the unconditional love that exists between a mother and her progeny.
At its essence, this narrative is about selflessness and sacrifice. It is a reminder that true love means placing the requirements of others before your own. The mother dog could have easily left her puppy behind and continued on her way, but she knew that her child’s safety was more essential than her own. It is this kind of selflessness that makes the bond between a mother and her child so special.
The power of motherly love can be seen throughout the animal kingdom, from canines to lions to birds. It is a force that is genuinely awe-inspiring and has the ability to move even the hardest of souls. This story of the mother dog and her puppy is just one example of the myriad acts of love that take place in the animal kingdom every day.
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