On 28 April 2020, a video of a Husky being abused and left in a lift went viral on the Internet. This Husky named Jixiang is the pet of Mr Yuan in Chengdu, China. Jixiang was stolen by the suspect when it was not attended by Mr Yuan. It was later beaten and left in a lift by the suspect. The incident only lasted for 2 hours, but it took more than a year to prosecute the suspect.

After Mr Yuan reported the case, the police detained the suspect and later arrested him for thefts. 

In June 2021, the suspect was finally prosecuted. It was the first time an animal abuser was charged with thefts. On 2 September, the case was heard at the court. The suspect pleaded not guilty to the theft charge. Mr Yuan gave up his civil compensation but requested the suspect to apologise in public. ‘He must admit his wrongdoings in front of the public. This incident has brought severe social impact, everyone in the community knows that there is an animal abuser,’ Mr Yuan said. However, the suspect refused to apologise. The court will make its verdict later.

Editor’s Note:

Mr Yuan deserves our respect. He left his business behind to take care of Jixiang. He spent most of his time looking for evidence and insisted on putting the suspect on trial. He upheld justice for Jixiang and called for legislation against animal cruelty. 

The suspect was charged with theft because there is no legislation against animal cruelty. This loophole allows the defendants’ lawyers to argue that a dog is only a personal property or even an abandoned item. Mr Yuan gave up his compensation, but he could not even get an apology from the abuser.

The World Dog Alliance (WDA) hopes that this case could draw more attention from the public and call for a legislation against animal cruelty. Above all, the suspect should deliver a sincere apology to Jixiang. No one should treat a dog like this, no matter if it is a pet or stray dog.