A Chinese police assistant has caused horror and anger worldwide after brutally beating a golden retriever to death on December 31. The dog, who was tied to a bollard in the city of Changsha, had allegedly bitten two passers-by and was killed in a three hour long attack in front of horrified witnesses.What provoked the officer (who was not a full law enforcement official, but described as an 'assistant' to police) to launch such a brutal and prolonged attack on an animal who was tied up isn't fully clear, but the police have stated that they couldn't dart or shoot the dog, called Coke, as it could have ricocheted onto people nearby.(WARNING: Graphic images)
Source: Fight Dog Meat
After photos and videos, in which people can be heard crying, appeared in the Chinese media, they quickly spread, catching the attention of horrified animal-lovers all over the internet and spawning protests as far away as London. Flowers and messages have appeared at the site of the dog's death.
Source: Fight Dog Meat
However, Changsha officials have doubled down on their actions, saying that the assistant was acting in line with local regulations, which allow and encourage killing violent or 'rabid' dogs. The man has even been awarded a medal and named a "Defender of the People", much to the disgust of animal activists and netizens alike.A spokesperson for Chinese activist group Fight Dog Meat said:
The local police are proud of what they have done to Coke (no kidding.) They’ve made themselves flags. [...] our argument is this cruel execution was done in public in broad daylight with many children and elderly people standing watching this horror. People were trying to stop the assistant policeman but were instead threatened. In the video clips recorded onsite you can hear people crying in the background.
Pet dogs have only become popular in China very recently, after decades of them being considered pests (after a rabies outbreak in the 1980's) or an unnecessary luxury. In some areas (including Changsha), dog meat is still considered healthy and affordable, which puts them at risk of poor living conditions and painful deaths at the hands of butchers wanting to make a profit from them.
Source: Fight Dog Meat
As Keith Guo, press officer for Peta Asia, said in a statement, this can cause dogs to be seen as objects, rather than sentient creatures:
This is not just an act of violence towards animals, it also reflects the tragedy of animals being traded then abandoned as commercial products.
While it is sadly unlikely that the police assistant will be brought to justice, there are many animal welfare groups, such as Animals Asia, who fight to end the dog meat trade and protect vulnerable animals.
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