On April 6, 2022, during Shanghai's epidemic lockdown, a corgi in a community in Pudong Caolu Town was dragged to the roadside and beaten to death by staff after its owner was transferred to quarantine. Multiple media reported that the dog owner explained to the owner group that he did not want the dog, but that he took the dog out because there was no dog food at home and he had to be isolated, hoping to hand it over to the care of the neighborhood committee. Neighborhood committee staff later responded that because the household had a positive case and they were worried about the pet dog being infected, the handling was "ill-considered" and they would communicate with the owner and compensate them. This incident, like the Shangrao "Chaofen" incident, has become a public memory of the brutal treatment of companion animals during the epidemic.

It’s not that the master doesn’t want it

The most unacceptable thing about this incident is that the dog owner has explained his situation. Phoenix News, Kandu News and other media reports mentioned that the owner was notified that he needed to be transported and quarantined. There was not enough dog food at home and there was no way to continue to take care of the corgi, so he took it out and hoped to give it to the neighborhood committee for temporary care.

Screenshots of the owner's group circulated show that the owner repeatedly explained that he did not abandon it, nor did he want it. She was worried that the dog would starve to death at home, so she asked the community and neighborhood committee for help. Such a request for help should have resulted in a clear, gentle, and enforceable placement plan, rather than ending the life of a companion animal in the most brutal way.

A chased dog was treated as a nuisance

Public videos relayed by multiple media outlets showed that after the dog owner was taken away, the corgi ran downstairs or to the roadside. On-site personnel then used tools to hit it. The dog fell to the ground and stopped moving. It was later put into a bag and taken away. Wuo-Wuo's report also mentioned that some residents heard the barking of dogs and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the way this was handled.

Under the pressure of lockdown and transfer, grassroots personnel may indeed face complex situations. But pressure cannot erase the most basic compassion. It is not a dangerous animal in the wild, nor is it actively attacking people. It is just a domestic dog chasing out the door in chaos and not knowing why its owner left. Beating it to death is not the only option, nor is it a "disposal" that can be gently carried away.

"Fear of infection" cannot be a reason for violent injury

According to the Phoenix News report, the staff of the neighborhood committee responded that because the household had a positive case, they were worried that the pet dog would also be infected, and the handling method was "ill-considered", and said that they would communicate with the owner for compensation. However, from a public health perspective, companion animals should not be simply equated with virus vectors. The CDC and other institutions in the United States have long stated that the new coronavirus is mainly transmitted between people, and the risk of animal transmission to humans is low.

Even in a period when information is insufficient and management pressure is huge, methods such as isolation, transfer, foster care, door-to-door feeding, and contacting volunteers or professional agencies should still be given priority. There is no evidence that a pet dog must be beaten to death in the street in order to complete epidemic prevention management.

Legal and industry reaction explains: This is not a mountain made out of molehills

In relevant reports, Caixin mentioned in interviews with legal professionals that pets are legally citizens’ property, and emergency epidemic prevention measures cannot be divorced from necessity, procedures and subject authority. The Shanghai Pet Industry Association once issued a document condemning the violent hunting and killing of pets, calling on relevant departments to respect life and handle companion animals of quarantined persons in accordance with laws and regulations.

The significance of this type of discussion is not to simply pit epidemic prevention work against animal protection, but to point out an issue that should be included in the details of governance: when people are quarantined, transferred, and sealed, the animals at home also need to be arranged. Ignoring them will often push small animals into a position of being silent, helpless, and unable to save themselves.

It's not that there is no other way

Not all places are resorting to rough and tumble during the pandemic. Public reports have shown that Shenzhen centralized the custody of pets of quarantined people, and Chengdu arranged for staff to feed pets and test cats. These cases illustrate that it is not impossible to establish pet registration, temporary foster care, community transfer and volunteer collaboration mechanisms during a state of emergency.

The death of this corgi in ShanghaiCaolu Town leaves the public with more than a simple issue of compensation. It's a reminder that companion animals are already a part of many families' lives. When a city or a community handles the isolation and transportation of people, it should also leave room for these lives that cannot speak.

timeline

• April 6, 2022：A resident of Pudong Caolu Town in Shanghai was transferred to isolation. After Corgi was taken out of his home, he was later beaten to death near the community.
• after the incident：The dog owner explained to the owner group that he did not abandon the pet, but hoped that the neighborhood committee or community would help take care of it. Relevant screenshots and videos were spread on social platforms.
• media reports：Phoenix News, Kandu News, Wuo-Wuo, What’s on Weibo and other media and platforms successively reported on the incident.
• Neighborhood Committee’s response：Neighborhood committee staff responded that because they were worried about the pet dog being infected, the handling method was not considered carefully, and they would communicate with the owner and compensate him.
• Follow-up discussion：Caixin and other media interviewed legal professionals to discuss the necessity, procedures and legal boundaries of culling pets during the epidemic.

source

• Phoenix News: Corgi was beaten to death in a neighborhood in Shanghai, but the owner said he was not abandoned。https://gov.ifeng.com/c/8F14dZA70kz
• Phoenix News / Boiling Point Video: Corgi were culled in a community in Shanghai, and the neighborhood committee said it was not well thought out and would provide compensation.。https://i.ifeng.com/c/8F06YY8IbN6
• Wuo-Wuo: The pet of a person diagnosed with COVID-19 in Shanghai was beaten to death, and the community committee said it would compensate。https://wuo-wuo.com/report/whenanimalmeetscovid19/1509-shanghai-coivd19
• Caixin: The culling of pets during the epidemic has attracted attention, and legal professionals believe it is illegal。https://m.caixin.com/m/2022-04-10/101868023.html
• What’s on Weibo: Another Pet Dog Beaten to Death by Healthcare Worker。https://www.whatsonweibo.com/another-pet-dog-beaten-to-death-by-healthcare-worker-growing-frustrations-about-shanghais-covid-lockdown/
• CDC: COVID-19 and Animals。https://www.cdc.gov/covid/about/animals.html