In January 2025, a Legal Daily report reposted by Xinhua described the death of a dog named Huochai, owned by a Guangxi man studying overseas. According to the owner, Mr. Zhang, veterinary testing showed that Huochai died of kidney failure caused by isoniazid poisoning. Zhang could only see the dog once a year because of his studies abroad. In December 2024 he had posted a video of Huochai that received more than 700,000 likes. He had hoped to spend more time with the dog during this return home, but Huochai was poisoned after an early-morning walk.

A dog seen only once a year

Huochai was not an abstract number in a report. He was a dog loved by his owner and once liked by many online viewers. Zhang studied overseas and could see Huochai only once a year. He thought this return home would give him more time with the dog, but after one early-morning walk, that ordinary life was gone.

Public reporting said Zhang had posted a video of Huochai in December 2024 and received more than 700,000 likes. It means the dog had been seen as lively and close to people. A month later, he died from isoniazid, a substance often mentioned in dog-poisoning incidents.

Isoniazid poisoning

Zhang said testing showed Huochai died of kidney failure caused by isoniazid poisoning. Isoniazid is a prescription drug for tuberculosis and is highly dangerous to dogs. When it is turned into bait in public space, it harms dogs and also creates risks for people and other animals who may touch it.

The cruelty of such cases lies not only in the poison but also in its concealment. Dogs cannot know what is hidden in a small piece of food or a corner of the ground. Owners often learn the truth only after convulsions, vomiting and organ failure have already made rescue impossible.

Not a small matter settled by compensation

Zhang said in the report that without surveillance footage, reporting the case felt difficult to advance. This is common in poisoning cases: the victims are real, but evidence is hard to preserve and suspects are hard to identify, leaving harm in a gap where no one is held accountable.

Poisoning is not an ordinary neighborhood dispute and cannot be excused by disliking dogs. It makes a specific life die in pain and leaves the person who cared for that life with long grief. Huochai's death reminds us that malicious poisoning harms animals, family bonds and public safety. Placing poison before voiceless lives deserves condemnation and accountability.

Timeline

• December 2024: Zhang posted a video of Huochai that received more than 700,000 likes.
• January 2025: During Zhang's return home, Huochai was poisoned after an early-morning walk.
• Afterward: Veterinary testing showed kidney failure caused by isoniazid poisoning.
• 2025-01-22: Legal Daily reported the case and Xinhua reposted the report.

Public Sources

This record is based on Xinhua's repost of Legal Daily, 'The claim that poisoning dogs with isoniazid is not illegal is nonsense.' Public reporting did not disclose a specific poisoner or a more precise location; this archive makes no claims beyond the source.

• Xinhua repost of Legal Daily: The claim that poisoning dogs with isoniazid is not illegal is nonsense