Compassionate animal advocates recently gathered in Washington, D.C., and Chicago to call for stronger animal protections in China — which lacks a national anti-cruelty law for companion animals — following the horrific killings of a stray mother dog named Wang Wang and her puppies.
Organized by Lady Freethinker, the peaceful event took place on Sept. 24 during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House.
Lady Freethinker/Leigh Vogel
Wang Wang’s two-week-old puppies were reportedly beaten with wooden sticks and stabbed to death by four boys in Jieyang, China. The mother dog was then allegedly doused in an accelerant and set on fire, causing her to run around and scream in agony before dying herself. Videos depicting the cruelty reportedly circulated on Chinese social media sites.
In Washington, D.C., dozens of people assembled outside the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, holding signs, chanting, and delivering speeches urging Chinese officials to enact anti-cruelty laws to help protect animals from suffering similar fates in the future. During the action, roughly 20 Chinese diplomats and embassy staff stepped outside to observe.
Lady Freethinker/Khatib David Gandjui
A mobile billboard displaying the campaign’s message also traveled between the Chinese Embassy and the White House throughout the day, helping extend the message’s reach beyond the protest site.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, animal advocates gathered across from the Chinese Consulate General to help spread the call for compassion. The group marched through the surrounding streets, and another mobile billboard truck circled nearby.
Lady Freethinker/Khatib David Gandjui
This heartbreaking case has revealed that the whole world cares about animals everywhere, and actions like these can help urge Chinese officials to pass animal cruelty legislation that spares future animals from such suffering.
If you haven’t already, please sign our petition urging authorities to pursue accountability for Wang Wang and her puppies, as well as our letter calling on Ontario, California, to use its sister-city ties with Jieyang to promote humane education and stronger legal protections for animals in China.
