Advertisement
Death of 11-year-old boy after dog attack rekindles debate about how China manages rising pet ownership
- The boy was attacked by four dogs in a deserted factory where he had been playing
- The incident sparked debate because, as pet ownership in China skyrockets, so have conflicts between owners and neighbours
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
1
The death of an 11-year-old Chinese boy after being attacked by a pack of dogs in northern China has triggered a fresh round of debate about how to regulate the surging number of pets in the country.
Li Furun was mauled by four dogs in a deserted factory while playing near his home in Handan, Hebei province, last Thursday, local police said this week.
The boy’s body was found in the factory on Sunday about 1.5km away from his home, authorities said in a statement. The boy had been reported missing by his family three days earlier.
Advertisement
Police officers detained a person surnamed Fan, who owned all of the dogs. He is facing a potential charge of manslaughter, which could lead to a jail sentence of up to 7 years, according to Chinese law.
The dogs were not registered, as required by law. Authorities said the animals “have been dealt with according to the law”, a euphemism for being euthanised.
Advertisement
The tragedy has been one of the most popular discussion topics on Weibo since Thursday and the incident sparked another debate about how China is regulating its rising number of pets.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x