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".
According to reports, the four boys involved were all under 14 and have since been placed in specialised education facilities.
"Wang Wang and her puppies suffered in agony, but their story can be the catalyst for lasting change," the petition stated. »