On May 28, 2026, a Malinois mother dog went into labor during a street animal performance in Zaozhuang, Shandong. Eastweek reported that after giving birth to a litter of puppies, she was not given proper rest and was made to perform again the next day. Public footage showed the mother lying on the ground nursing; staff then picked up the still-unopened-eyed puppies, placed them in a box, and pushed the mother back toward the performance area to run, jump through hoops and pass obstacles.

Sent Back To The Ring After Birth

The incident reportedly took place at a performance square in Zaozhuang. Giving birth is a severe physical burden for any mother dog; doing so amid noise, crowds and a show schedule makes that burden even heavier. What she needed was quiet, rest, water, food and stable time with her puppies, not another round of performance the next day.

The most painful part was the mother dog’s reaction. Eastweek described her following the box of puppies and refusing to leave. That gesture needs no embellishment: she had just given birth, and the puppies could not yet open their eyes. Her basic instinct was to stay with them. Forcing her to perform in that state placed money and spectacle above her body, her distress and her maternal bond.

Public Rescue And A High Price

After the video spread, volunteers formed a rescue group and went to look for the mother and puppies. Eastweek later reported that rescuers searched around Weishan and Xuecheng for two days, waited near the scene at night, negotiated repeatedly, and eventually contacted the dog’s owner. The owner reportedly agreed to sell the mother and puppies; after bargaining, concerned citizens paid RMB 24,000 to take them away.

That payment should not be romanticized. It was a cost paid by public anger and private kindness when effective restraint was absent: an animal was forced to perform, pushed back after birth, and then had to be bought out of the performance chain by people who cared.

Why This Is Recorded

This archive records the case because it is not a vague performance dispute, but a concrete inhumane scene: a mother dog who had just given birth was denied rest, her puppies were taken away, and she was pushed back into the ring. There is no gore here, but there is a clear disregard for an animal’s body, feelings and basic needs.

Animal performances are often packaged as training, obedience or interaction. But when a life that has just given birth is made to run and jump, it is no longer entertainment; it is pressure imposed on a vulnerable being.

Timeline

• May 28, 2026: Eastweek reported that the Malinois mother dog went into labor and gave birth during a street performance in Zaozhuang.
• May 29, 2026: Public footage showed her being made to perform again while her puppies were put into a box.
• Late May 2026: The video spread on social media and drew criticism of animal performances and the mother dog’s treatment.
• Early June 2026: Eastweek later reported that rescuers bought the mother and puppies for RMB 24,000 after searching and negotiating.

Sources

• Eastweek report on the Malinois mother dog forced to perform after giving birth
• Eastweek follow-up on the rescue and purchase of the mother dog and puppies
• PETA Asia Chinese-language X post