ع
The horrific footage of four boys under the age of 14 beating puppies and setting their mother, a stray dog named Wang Wang, on fire in Jieyang, Guangdong province, in late June triggered an outpouring of anger across Chinese social media. Jieyang authorities decided against criminal charges for the minors, instead directing them to a specialised school, according to local officials cited in the BBC report. The case has become the latest in a series of animal abuse incidents to draw public attention in China, where no specific law criminalises cruelty to animals.
Censors moved quickly to limit the spread of the video and related posts, with an official statement urging the public not to disseminate information about the case in order to avoid cyberbullying the boys. “We urge the public not to disseminate related information, to reject cyberbullying, and to work together to create a good environment for the growth of minors,” the statement read. Posts by celebrities calling for stronger animal protection measures also vanished from platforms, though it remained unclear whether the deletions were self-initiated or enforced.
In response, activists have taken their message offline within China and carried it abroad, erecting billboards in New York’s Times Square that display images of Wang Wang every 35 minutes with the message “She was loved. She wanted to live. She should still be here.” A similar display near Taipei 101 in Taiwan featured the dog nursing her puppies alongside the text “This planet is their home too. Justice for Wang Wang,” according to the report. CK, a Taiwanese woman who funded one of the billboards at a cost of NT$30,000, told BBC Chinese that the action aimed to foster unity, adding “The world need to know about the cruelty these dogs have been subject to.”
Domestic initiatives have included a cartoon tribute to Wang Wang displayed on a stadium screen during a football match in Dalian that read “Every life deserves respect and kindness.” Beauty brand Amortals and streetwear label Wah Yan Ching Nin placed advertisements in malls calling for an end to animal abuse, while stickers and decals featuring the dogs appeared for sale on Taobao. One mall in Changsha was reportedly ordered to remove such billboards, with an employee telling the BBC they could no longer run animal-protection displays.
China lacks a national law prohibiting animal cruelty despite a booming pet ownership trend that has seen the number of urban dogs and cats reach 126 million in 2025, with the overall pet industry valued at $43.4 billion that year according to a US Department of Agriculture report. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs signalled a shift in 2020 by removing dogs from its list of livestock animals for meat consumption, citing welfare concerns and disease prevention, according to a Guardian report from that period. Shenzhen became the first mainland city to ban the sale and consumption of dog and cat meat the same year, providing a precedent that activists hope to build upon nationwide.
The International Organisation for Animal Protection in Italy has received more than 100 reports from around the world demanding intervention in the Wang Wang case and has requested further details from Chinese authorities. Taiwanese activist Elara employed artificial intelligence to translate accounts of the incident into more than 10 languages for wider dissemination online. Residents in Hong Kong and Macau have raised funds to place posters on public transport as part of the coordinated effort.
Online discussions persist despite restrictions, with users on Weibo calling to “keep posting” and arguing that continued advocacy does not disturb social order but raises awareness. One animal lover identified only as PL described the footage as affecting her in a particularly severe way, telling BBC Chinese “We can’t make our voices heard, so many people outside China are actively helping us to share this message.” The sustained campaign highlights the challenges Chinese authorities face in containing public sentiment on issues of animal welfare.
