A case of alleged animal cruelty involving four minors in Jieyang, Guangdong, has sparked public anger, with Taiwanese actress Joe Chen Chiao-en later voicing her concerns online before her post was removed from the platform.
According to mainland media, the incident took place on June 28, when four boys, all under the age of 14, allegedly attacked a stray female dog and three puppies in a village.
The dog, which had been fed by villagers and was nursing its puppies, was allegedly beaten with sticks before being set on fire. The incident was reportedly recorded and shared online.
Authorities said on June 30 that the individuals involved would not face criminal charges as they had not reached the legal age of criminal responsibility. They would instead be sent to a specialized school for education, while their parents were urged to strengthen supervision.
Chen, who is known for her support of animal welfare, later posted a message expressing distress over the incident and calling the act inhumane. However, her post was removed shortly after it was published, according to reports.
Actor Du Jiang, who had also spoken out about the case, reportedly had his video removed from the platform.
The removal of the posts has fueled online debate, with some users questioning whether platforms had gone too far in restricting discussions on animal protection.
Many called for stronger animal protection laws and urged authorities to strengthen measures to prevent similar cases involving minors.
An animal welfare charity has apologised and cancelled its major fundraising event this weekend after facing a backlash over its request to Hong Kong police to remove videos of a dog and its pups being killed in mainland China, with critics accusing the group of undermining efforts to raise public awareness of the case.
The Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said in a statement on Thursday night that it sincerely apologised “for the concerns caused by the shortcomings in how [it] handled and explained [its] follow-up actions”.
It added that, in light of the backlash, it would cancel its annual Flag Day, originally scheduled for July 18.
Footage circulating online in recent weeks appeared to show at least four boys, whom authorities later said were all under the age of 14, beating a nursing stray dog and her puppies in Jieyang, Guangdong province, before setting the mother alight.
In the SPCA’s first social media post about the incident on Tuesday, the group said it was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the killing of the dog and its puppies. It also called for stronger animal protection laws and greater education on respecting life.
Although the incident was outside the jurisdiction of Hong Kong police, the group said it had reported the matter to the force, which replied that it would ask Threads and YouTube to remove the videos.
“We welcome any action that helps prevent the further spread of violent and harmful content, and we expect all relevant platforms to act swiftly and responsibly,” the SPCA said at the time.
But the move attracted hundreds of comments on the group’s social media posts, questioning why it had contacted city police over an incident on the mainland. Many also argued that the footage should remain available as evidence.
Some accused the organisation of protecting the perpetrators rather than the animals, while others threatened to stop donating or return merchandise bought through its charity sales.
Replying to one commenter, the SPCA said the original footage could cause “secondary harm to animals”, encourage imitation, turn their suffering into something to be consumed and give the perpetrators further exposure.
It said graphic videos directly showing the abuse should be removed, while information about the case, complaint channels, reporting methods and calls to protect animals should continue to circulate.
In its follow-up post, the SPCA apologised for “the confusion arising from [the] earlier post”.
“It has never been our intention to prevent the truth from being shared or discussed,” the group said.
Commenters continued to argue that removing the footage would erase records of what happened and weaken efforts to spread awareness.
But others supported the decision, saying copycat incidents were already appearing on social media.
The original footage started circulating online last month.
The incident prompted authorities in Jieyang’s Xinheng township to issue a statement on June 30, in which they said four people involved in the case, all under 14, had been sent to a specialised school for corrective education.
They added that the children’s parents had been ordered to fulfil their guardianship responsibilities, while education authorities had instructed schools to strengthen their guidance for pupils.
Xinheng authorities also urged internet users not to share information online about the cases and to “refrain from cyberbullying” those involved, as they were minors.
The response failed to satisfy many internet users, who argued that the measures were too lenient given the severity of the alleged acts.
Discussion about the case has spread from mainland social media platforms such as RedNote to ones more widely used in Hong Kong and Taiwan amid reports that posts calling attention to the incident had repeatedly been removed.
Taiwanese actress Joe Chen Chiao-en criticised the violence in a Weibo post that was quickly deleted. A related hashtag about the removal later trended on the platform.
Mainland actor Du Jiang also reportedly had three Douyin posts removed after calling for respect for life and the introduction of animal-protection legislation.
Hong Kong entertainers Steven Ma Chun-wai and Andrew Yuen Man-kit have also spoken out, while mainland businesses have paid for advertisements condemning animal abuse and calling for legislation.
Mainland internet users also crowdfunded an advertisement displayed on a large outdoor screen near Langham Place in Mong Kok.
The advertisement features a female dog and her puppies, and urges the public to “stop animal abuse” and continue pressing for animal protection laws.
The mainland does not have a comprehensive national law prohibiting cruelty towards all animals, leaving authorities to pursue abusers through other offences where applicable.
The SPCA said it was working with mainland organisations to explore the introduction of companion-animal protection ordinances in some cities.
It is also pushing for amendments to Hong Kong’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, including an early-warning mechanism intended to enable intervention before abuse occurs.
The Jieyang case follows a string of other animal cruelty controversies on the mainland, including in Chongqing last month, where hundreds of residents gathered outside the home of a man accused of obtaining dogs through sham adoptions and abusing or killing them.
Local police said they had placed the man under “compulsory measures” and opened an investigation.
The case triggered days of protests and renewed calls for dedicated animal protection legislation on the mainland.
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