Public outrage has erupted after videos showing four boys under the age of 14 allegedly abusing a stray mother dog and her puppies in Jieyang, Guangdong, China, began circulating online in recent weeks.
The videos show the boys hitting the dogs with sticks and drenching the mother dog in a flammable liquid before setting her on fire. The mother dog was later found beside the bodies of her puppies.
The puppies were reportedly just two weeks old at the time of the incident. Netizens later referred to the mother dog as "Wang Wang".
Local authorities confirmed on June 30 that an investigation had been launched. According to reports, the four boys involved were all under 14 and have since been placed in specialised education facilities.
The response has also highlighted renewed calls for stronger animal protection laws in China, which currently does not have a dedicated national law criminalising animal cruelty.
A petition launched on Change.org on Saturday (July 11) calls for justice for Wang Wang and her puppies, while urging authorities to introduce comprehensive animal welfare legislation.
The petition also calls on international companies with suppliers or manufacturing links in the Jieyang region to conduct ethical reviews of their supply chains and reconsider partnerships with businesses in areas where animal abuse is not adequately addressed.
"Wang Wang and her puppies suffered in agony, but their story can be the catalyst for lasting change," the petition stated.
The petition has since garnered more than 7,800 signatures as of July 13.
Authorities have also urged the public to stop spreading information related to the case due to the involvement of minors, and called on netizens to refrain from cyberbullying.
299792458mps- on July 17th, 2026 at 22:44 UTC »
What’s even more heartbreaking is this dog was beloved in the community. She was extremely friendly and trusting of humans, and was filmed showing off her puppies to people on previous social media videos.
My wife literally cried herself to sleep about this when it happened a few weeks ago.
Snakestream on July 17th, 2026 at 22:25 UTC »
People that would do something like this, much less film and upload it, are not people that society should be tolerating. It only escalates from here.
Kalkin93 on July 17th, 2026 at 22:18 UTC »
It's not often I feel genuine disgust to the point of feeling sick to my stomach, but I did reading this, absolutely fucking horrible.