China Animals
“Where is the Law?” – Heartbreaking Video of Girl Holding Killed Dog Raises Questions
A heartbreaking video showing a weeping girl holding her killed dog has gone viral on Chinese social media, where netizens cry out for a rapid implementation of animal welfare legislation in China.
One young girl from the city of Qujing in Yunnan was heartbroken in December of 2016 when her pet dog was killed by a neighborhood guard with an air gun.
In a video that went viral on Chinese media on January 4/5, the girl is seen holding the dead body of her pet, crying: “Wake up, wake up Kuai Kuai, wake up now.”
The dog reportedly died instantly when it was hit in the heart by a bullet of the air pistol that was in the possession of a neighborhood guard.
The incident was reported by Chinese media platform Pear Video (see video below), among other media.
This video shows the girl crying over her dead dog Kuai Kuai, asking him to wake up. The captions in the screen explain that the dog’s heart was penetrated by an air gun bullet, which is illegal, and that the guard responsible for this was detained for 6 days. It also shows footage of the dog 1 year ago when the girl saved him after a car accident and how he recuperated afterwards.“Open your eyes, look at me,” the girl says: “It’s me, your sister.”
A year before this fatal incident, the dog had suffered a major car accident and was then saved by the girl and brought to an animal hospital to receive medical care. The Pear Video clip shows that the dog had fully recuperated from his accident- making his sudden death all the more painful for the girl and her mother.
The neighborhood guard, whose name has now been exposed on Chinese social media, has reportedly been detained and released after a 6-day sentence for the illegal possession of a weapon. The air gun has been confiscated.
The video received over 23.000 comments and was shared 17.300 times within 24 hours, become a top trending topic on Chinese social media.
The alleged mother of the girl in the video, nicknamed Houmitao (@
猴迷桃16257) has come forward on Sina Weibo on January 5th in a short post, in which she talks about the dog Kuai Kuai:
“This incident has really hurt me and my young child,” she writes: “This is like a scar that will never heal.”
She also expresses her thanks for all the support and makes it clear that by now she has resolved the issue with the local guard and asks people to stop disturbing him and his family.
“I want to thank you all for condemning the person who killed the innocent Kuai Kuai. She will thank you from heaven, knowing that so many people care for her would make her very happy.”
Houmitao also calls for the official launch of a Chinese law to protect animals:
“I strongly urge the Chinese government to implement an Animal Protection Act as soon as possible. Are civilized countries so cruel to animals, killing cats and dogs? I strongly advocate the implementation of severe punishment for those involved in the black market of dog trading. These are monstrous crimes!”
China currently has no laws against animal cruelty. Although officials have been working on the introduction of an animal protection law in China since 2006, it has not been officially implemented.
Thousands of people on Weibo have commented on the killing of Kuai Kuai, some saying: “This is not just killing a dog, this is killing a little girl’s friend.” Others compare pet dogs to members of the family. “You will understand this if you own a dog yourself,” one person says.
The motives of the security guard for killing the dog are unknown. Some netizens who say they know him call him a renowned “neighbourhood bully.”
Many netizens are also upset over the fact that owning a weapon seemingly has no serious consequences.
“If an old lady sets up an illegal booth she is sentenced to three years, if a guard kills a dog he is sentenced to six days,” one Weibo user says: “I usually don’t speak about politics on Weibo – I am afraid to do in fear to be reprimanded for it. But I cannot constrain myself this time. How is it possible that there is more severe punishment for setting up a vendor stall than for owning a gun, even if it is a toy gun?”
“These kinds of people are like society’s tumors,” another commenter wrote: “Today they kill a dog. Tomorrow they might kill a human.”
– By Manya Koetse
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©2016 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.
China and Covid19
Fresh Off the Boat, Xiamen Fish Are Tested for Covid-19
Catch of the day! These fish in Xiamen can’t escape their daily Covid test.
It does not matter if you’re old or young, shrimp or fish – you can’t escape China’s zero-covid policy.
In the Jimei district of the coastal city of Xiamen, some fish and shrimp also had to do a nucleic acid test this week, leading to some banter on Chinese social media.
In the area, fishermen returning from a day of work have to undergo nucleic acid tests together with some of the fish that they caught during the day.
After the fishermen themselves have done the Covid test, they reportedly have to grab a few fresh fish from their catch of the day for the anti-epidemic workers to test. They open the mouth of the fish so that the fish can be tested with the cotton swab.
Chinese media outlet Sohu (搜狐新闻) posted a video about the issue on its Weibo account on August 17th, receiving over 90,000 likes and more than 8000 shares.
Catch of the day! It doesn't matter if you're young or old, fish or crab – can't escape China's zero-covid policy and the nucleic acid tests. pic.twitter.com/stoqsGyYf1
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) August 17, 2022
“I thought fish didn’t any lungs?” a popular comment said, with other commenters suggesting that this news made it clear that Covid “doesn’t affect the lungs but the brain instead.”
Another commenter suggested that if this matter concerned authorities, they should also start testing mosquitos.
Some also felt bad for the fish: “They still have to undergo this before getting killed.”
“The fish should be grateful for receiving a Covid test for free,” others wrote, while there were also people who wondered if parts of the sea would go into lockdown mode if some fish would test positive for Covid.
There were also critical commenters wondering about any scientific reasoning behind testing fish, asking who was getting paid to test them – suggesting commercial benefits outweigh scientific basis in this case.
“You can’t get Covid if you don’t have lungs, let alone if you live in the sea,” one Weibo user wrote, another person asking: “Have we all gone mad?”
By Manya Koetse
With contributions by Miranda Barnes
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China Animals
‘Welcome Home, Molly’ – Chinese Zoo Elephant Returns to Kunming after Online Protest
One small step for animal protection in China, one giant leap for Molly the elephant.
The little elephant named Molly is a big topic of discussion on Chinese social media recently.
The popular Asian elephant, born in the Kunming Zoo in 2016, was separated from her mother at the age of two in April of 2018. Molly was then transferred from Kunming Zoo to Qinyang, Jiaozuo (Henan), in exchange for another elephant. Over the past few years, fans of Molly started voicing their concerns online as the elephant was trained to do tricks and performances and to carry around tourists on her back at the Qinyang Swan Lake Ecological Garden (沁阳天鹅湖生态园), the Qinyang Hesheng Forest Zoo (沁阳和生森林动物园), the Jiaozuo Forestry Zoo (焦作森林动物园), and the Zhoukou Safari Park (周口野生动物世界).
Since the summer of 2021, more people started speaking out for Molly’s welfare when they spotted the elephant chained up and seemingly unhappy, forced to do handstands or play harmonica, with Molly’s handlers using iron hooks to coerce her into performing.
Earlier this month, Molly became a big topic on Chinese social media again due to various big accounts on Xiaohongshu and Weibo posting about the ‘Save Molly’ campaign and calling for an elephant performance ban in China (read more).
Due 2 pandemic prevention measures in China, Molly’s zoo had been closed for long. It was just re-open & a Molly Group friend went to see her 2 days ago, shared a video and photos. The zoo was under much pressure from netizens, so no 🐘 shows, rides, at the moment. #FreeMolly pic.twitter.com/4BjoVk2DBC
— Diving paddler (@KU09814701) April 25, 2022
Although zookeepers denied any animal abuse and previously stated that the elephant is kept in good living conditions and that animal performances are no longer taking place, Molly’s story saw an unexpected turn this week. Thanks to the efforts of online netizens, Molly fans, and animal welfare activists, Molly was removed from Qinyang.
A popular edited image of Molly that has been shared a lot online.
On May 15, the Henan Forestry Bureau – which regulates the holding of all exotic species, including those in city zoos – announced that Molly would return to Kunming in order to provide “better living circumstances” for the elephant. A day later, on Monday, Molly left Qinyang and returned to the Kunming Zoo where she was born. In Kunming, Molly will first receive a thorough health check during the observation period.
Official announcement regarding Molly by the Henan Forestry Administration.
Good news. After many people’s working together for months, Molly‘s going back to Kunming Zoo to stay with her mom. Though Kunming Zoo has a very dark history, we will keep monitoring it to ensure Molly living in good condition. We will save other performing 🐘. #FreeMolly https://t.co/kC1uByyVpG pic.twitter.com/KhFlLpQgaa
— Diving paddler (@KU09814701) May 16, 2022
Many online commenters were happy to see Molly returning home. “Finally! This is great news,” many wrote, with others saying: “Please be good to her” and “Finally, after four years of hardship, Molly will be reunited with her mother.”
Besides regular Weibo accounts celebrating Molly’s return to Kunming, various Chinese state media accounts and official accounts (e.g. the Liaocheng Communist Youth League) also posted about Molly’s case and wished her a warm welcome and good wishes. One Weibo post on the matter by China News received over 76,000 likes on Monday.
Although many view the effective online ‘Save Molly’ campaign as an important milestone for animal welfare in China, some animal activists remind others that there are still other elephants in Chinese zoos who need help and better wildlife protection laws. Among them are the elephant Kamuli (卡目里) and two others who are still left in Qinyang.
For years, animal welfare activists in China and in other countries have been calling for Chinese animal protection laws. China does have wildlife protection laws, but they are often conflicting and do not apply to pets and there is no clear anti-animal abuse law.
“I’ll continue to follow this. What are the next arrangements? What is the plan for Molly and the other elephants? How will you guarantee a safe and proper living environment?”
Another Weibo user writes: “This is just a first step, there is much more to be done.”
To follow more updates regarding Molly, check out Twitter user ‘Diving Paddler’ here. We thank them for their contributions to this article.
To read more about zoos and wildlife parks causing online commotion in China, check our articles here.
By Manya Koetse
References (other sources linked to within text)
Arcus Foundation (Ed.). 2021. State of the Apes: Killing, Capture, Trade and Ape Conservation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
China Daily. 2012. “Animal Rights Groups Seek Performance Ban.” China Daily, April 16 http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2012-04/16/content_25152066.htm [Accessed May 1 2022].
Li, Peter J. 2021. Animal Welfare in China: Culture, Politics and Crisis. Sydney: Sydney University Press.
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