An eight-year-old Border Collie named Chutou, who gained over 1.5 million followers on the Chinese social media platform Douyin, was stolen and sold to a restaurant for slaughter in Henan province.
The dog belonged to Chinese travel blogger Guo, who documented their travels together on the platform since purchasing Chutou as a puppy in 2018 for 2,000 yuan ($300).
Chutou went missing on May 11 while staying with Guo’s father in Ningling County during Guo’s overseas trip. Security camera footage captured two individuals taking the dog from the family home on an electric scooter, which prompted Guo to end his trip and return to China.
After a two-week search, Guo located a suspect and offered a reward of 10,000 yuan ($1,500) for the safe return of the animal.
The suspect informed Guo that the dog had already been sold to a local restaurant for 180 yuan ($27), where it was killed and consumed.
The individual claimed he assumed Chutou was a stray animal, though Guo stated the dog was wearing both a collar and a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device at the time of the abduction.
According to reports, the suspect refused to issue an apology to the owner, stating, “The dog is dead, so stop making a fuss. I did not break the law.”
Guo reported the incident to the local authorities and is currently pursuing legal action against the individual. Police departments in Ningling County have launched an official investigation into the matter.
The incident has generated public discussion on Chinese digital platforms about the country’s existing legal frameworks for animal protection.
Data from Humane Society International indicates that approximately 10 million dogs are killed annually within the Chinese dog meat trade, with consumption limited to under 20 percent of the national population.
A 2016 statistical survey showed that a majority of citizens supported a complete ban on the trade, and nearly 70 percent of respondents stated they had never consumed dog meat.
