Expat Left Traumatized After Pet Beaten to Death in Front of Him

Paul Ryding | May 25, 2014 3:15 pm | 37 comments | 21937 reads

An English national was left badly shaken on Saturday when his pet dog was beaten to death in front of him by local urban managment officials.

In a scene described as "surreal," the man was pushed aside by a chengguan official while others beat it to death with sticks.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, was walking his dog early in the morning on Saturday (May 24) near his Sihui residential compound when he was approached by the officials who initially demanded to see his registration papers for the dog. The man, who has a firm grasp of Mandarin, explained that he had only recently acquired the dog and that he was still in the process of registering the animal after having it vaccinated. At that point, the officials told him he was "out of order," before holding him back, beating his dog four times with sticks, and scooping the dog's body into a bag.

The man, who works for a highly-respected Beijing international school, says he was traumatized by the episode and attempted to report it to local police who told him that without the registration documents, there was no recourse for him.

The sad episode serves as a stark reminder that pet owners must carry their registration documents with them at all times. The man said: "The main message here is that if you do not have the registration papers, the police are completely unwilling to assist you in any investigation. They told me that if I don't have legitimate documentation then my claims are meaningless. The strongest message for pet owners is to be on the look out and to have these documents with them at all times. If you say you're still applying for them, it's meaningless."

Photos: the Beijinger

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florence92's picture florence92 Submitted by Guest on Sun, 01/04/2015 - 15:16

This country is just so fucked up., even if i register whats the advantage ? what rights i can get, what type of protection my dog will get ? anyone can tell me in detail ?

Im about to adopt a rescued tibetan mastiff., and i dont want anyone touch my dog, or even hurt them. Im a dog lover, and if someone touch my dog, i swear im gonna beat them up worse than they do to my dog..*diablo**bomb*

chaofan's picture chaofan Submitted by Guest on Tue, 05/27/2014 - 16:06

admin wrote:

First, the Beijinger, then the New York Times

http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/dog-beaten-to-death-in-front-of-owner-beijing-magazine-reports/

Not bad admin,

I have been wondering where you have been hiding out.

I see it is just a little more peaceful here than on the forum.

I am not a fan of anyones pet getting killed especially right in front of them!

britomart's picture britomart Submitted by Guest on Tue, 05/27/2014 - 10:07

Paul Ryding wrote:

mtnerror,

The owner had been in possesion of the dog for around three weeks.

He had recently had the dog vaccinated in accordance with the registration requirements.

This was probably why new owner hadn't been able to register his dog yet. Vaccinations for dogs who are getting the full panel are administered at two separate times, one month apart. Rescue dog would certainly have been getting the full panel...

For example, I recently took my own dogs in for their vaccinations, and since they were a bit late this time in getting them, the vet went ahead and did the full panel, just to make sure everything was ok. So I took doggies on April 8th for their first round and received only the red stamp for that particular set of shots in doggies' vet booklets. I then took them back again May 8th, to get final round and final official stamp in vet booklets, at which point I could prove to any interested parties that all vaccinations were up-to-date.

I believe that the doggie registration police won't issue registration until the full panel of vaccinations has been administered. If new owner had only recently acquired the dog, he would have had time to get him only the first round, and would not have been eligible yet for registration.

The devil's in the details. Especially in this sad story.

Doubt wisely; in strange way / To stand inquiring right is not to stray; / To sleep, or run wrong, is. (Donne, Satire III)

admin's picture admin Submitted by Guest on Tue, 05/27/2014 - 09:57

ohdjango wrote:
Is it the 'dark side of humanity' when you eat an animal that was raised in captivity just so that it could be slaughtered and put on your dinner plate? Or is it only the 'dark side' when the animal in question is super kawaii?

Actually animal rights aside,

If someone raised a rabbit as a pet and someone beat it to death, I feel bad for the rabbit and the owner of the rabbit.

If a farmer raises rabbits for food and kills the rabbit to sell its meat, I feel bad for the rabbit but not so much the owner.

 

 

Books by current and former Beijinger staffers

http://astore.amazon.com/truerunmedia-20

Wiser2001's picture Wiser2001 Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 13:32

admin wrote:

First, the Beijinger, then the New York Times

http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/dog-beaten-to-death-in-front-of-owner-beijing-magazine-reports/

Wow, wish I could use my VPN at work to read this. Spreading like wildfire.

mapleman wrote:

Certainly a sad story!! For a "laowai", only!!!

.The locals would'nt bother.For them it's "just" a dog.

Dogs get eaten in certain parts of China.

So its "just" an animal.

The locals dont respect animals the way loawais do.

Laws against Cruelty on animals do not exist in this country and even if implemented will never be respected.

And yes, the fault is on the owners side.No registration etc.

The Dude kept it for 4 months!!!???.Why not vaccinated and registered already.???

Bit too much hype about the case.

@mapleman: I know Chinese people who have lost their pets due to registration misunderstandings and it was devastating for them. I know a Canadian (same as me) who beat his cat to death with a bat. If you're looking for the dark side of humanity, it's everywhere.

When you compare "laowais", as you're so insistent to say, to the general local population, what are you comparing? You think that the average person in your hometown is highly enlightened? People who travel to live and work abroad tend to be above the curve in terms of education and social etiquette (with exceptions, ahumm...). So, let's compare a handful of Westerners with relatively homogenous backgrounds, to an entire nation which is more varied than Europe but politically united under one flag. Ya. Oh, and let's at least use punctuation correctly.

mtnerror's picture mtnerror Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 12:31

Author: thank you! So this happened to this dog...it was vaccinated but not registered...yikes.

@Mapleman: I hope you're not being serious. If you are serious, then you've made quite an offensive statement to Chinese who do revere their pets just as much any other nationality of peoples on this planet. Yes, dogs get eaten in some parts of China, whereas crickets can be revered here yet stomped on in other places; cows treated as holy in some locales yet slaughtered for human consumption in others. Venture out a bit more...

mapleman's picture mapleman Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 12:08

Certainly a sad story!! For a "laowai", only!!!

.The locals would'nt bother.For them it's "just" a dog.

Dogs get eaten in certain parts of China.

So its "just" an animal.

The locals dont respect animals the way loawais do.

Laws against Cruelty on animals do not exist in this country and even if implemented will never be respected.

And yes, the fault is on the owners side.No registration etc.

The Dude kept it for 4 months!!!???.Why not vaccinated and registered already.???

Bit too much hype about the case.

mtnerror's picture mtnerror Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 11:28

Author: please expand upon "only recently acquired." Just how long was the latest owner in possession of the dog before this unfortunate event?

@Spencer: not only has the admin pointed out this breed is not a pitbull (as clearly seen by the picture...), but you need to learn a bit more about how it is humans which choose specific breeds for one reason or another to fill a certain void in their life. This leads to a perpetuation of stereotypes humans desire as representing a specific dog (let's say Rex) or more widespread to an entire breed (which some choose to believe in...). Different breeds have different muscle mass, intelligence level, size, etc. but any human can teach a particular dog and/or breed to display aggressive bheaviour. Cocker spaniels, akitas, beagles, pitbulls...each of these can be taught to bark, lick, sit, or attack. If it is a negative behaviour which the owner has reinforced (either knowingly or unknowingly by virtue of being a lazy, bad owner unfit for care of a domestic animal) then it is the owner who needs to be reprimanded first and foremost.

Wiser2001's picture Wiser2001 Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 11:27

britomart wrote:
Spencer wrote:

I don't believe anyone would just beat a dog for no reason like that. Most likely, the dog was attacking or biting one of the officers, and could have been a pitbull or another aggressive mix. The author, of course, failed to mention that.

Oh, sweetie... I love your innocence.

I believe what you meant to say is "I don't believe anyone in the world that I come from (or that I would like to create) would just beat a dog for no reason like that."

Stay here a little longer, get out a bit more, talk to more locals both from Beijing and from other areas of the country, read more local news, and the naivety will disappear after a while.

It will be sad when it does, but realizing what some of humanity is capable of--both around the world and, particular to this event, in this country--that's a necessary part of growing up.

If there hadn't been animal cruelty in N. America then we'd never have created animal protection agencies. This isn't endemic in China, it's endemic in humanity. Creating laws to protect animals is actually quite a new idea in the span of human history.

This, however, is a complicated case with the perpetrators belonging to the municipal police; a band of poorly educated, underpaid and power-corrupted thugs that occasionally help but occasionally make very, very poor decisions. And I hope, with this publicity, a spotlight gets shed on the ridiculous tactics they employed. In the very least you should take the animal away and euthanize it in a humane fashion, away from the owner. Why incense the public? It completely backfires.

xigor's picture xigor Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 11:23

While this is a very tragic story and shows the stupidity of some people in Chengguan, the fault lies with the dog owner who didn't do his job to register and vaccinate his dog. The regulations for dog ownership are here for the main reason: to prevent rabbies which is so prevalent in China and even in Beijing. The dog owner not only took great risks for his dog but also for the people around. What happens if the dog gets bitten by a stray dog with rabbies? Just a scratch on a person would spread the disease and get someone killed. This is very serious matter!

The regulations in China are good and they always come with education and prevention. In this case, we've been repeatidly told for the past few months to register our dogs. As often in China, the implementation of the regulation is where it goes wrong. In this case, the dog should have been captured without harm and the owner should have been fined a big sum of money to get the dog back. In any case, there was no excuse to beat a dog to death.

Wiser2001's picture Wiser2001 Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 11:04

servethepets wrote:
Prepare for 2014 Dog Registration Period: http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2014/04/14/dog-days-are-coming-prepare-2014-registration-period Registering Dogs in Beijing: Step-by-Step Guide for Dog Owners: http://www.icvsasia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70%3Aregistering-dogs-in-beijing&catid=45%3Aregistering-dogs-in-china&Itemid=73&lang=en The Official Beijing Municipal Government List of Banned Dog Breeds: http://www.icvsasia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=293%3Aa-list-of-the-dogs-banned-in-beijing&catid=45%3Aregistering-dogs-in-china&Itemid=73&lang=en If you are unsure about how to register your dog or have a large dog and have concerns about its safety, please email ICVS at: ICVS_CHINA@yahoo.com. We are happy to help provide advice and counseling to all dog owners to keep your pets protected and safe.
This is what I call a useful post. Thanks for the links.

britomart's picture britomart Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 10:37

Paul Ryding wrote:

An English national was left badly shaken on Saturday when his pet dog was beaten to death in front of him by local urban managment officials.

In a scene described as "surreal," the man was pushed aside by a chengguan official while four others held down his dog and beat it to death with sticks.

And my heart goes out to this guy... Doggie is in a better place now... I'm mainly sad for the owner left with this memory.

Time to contact everyone you know who has a pooch... Make sure everybody's registered and ready for the next month of insanity.

Doubt wisely; in strange way / To stand inquiring right is not to stray; / To sleep, or run wrong, is. (Donne, Satire III)

britomart's picture britomart Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 10:15

Spencer wrote:

I don't believe anyone would just beat a dog for no reason like that. Most likely, the dog was attacking or biting one of the officers, and could have been a pitbull or another aggressive mix. The author, of course, failed to mention that.

Oh, sweetie... I love your innocence.

I believe what you meant to say is "I don't believe anyone in the world that I come from (or that I would like to create) would just beat a dog for no reason like that."

Stay here a little longer, get out a bit more, talk to more locals both from Beijing and from other areas of the country, read more local news, and the naivety will disappear after a while.

It will be sad when it does, but realizing what some of humanity is capable of--both around the world and, particular to this event, in this country--that's a necessary part of growing up.

Doubt wisely; in strange way / To stand inquiring right is not to stray; / To sleep, or run wrong, is. (Donne, Satire III)

admin's picture admin Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 09:17

PS, while on the subject of pet regulations (from May 24 Beijing News):

New regulations to take place Oct 1 state:

-- Illegal to bury deceased pets (legal cremation is the preferred method)

-- Pet owners face a RMB 1,000 fine for not vaccinating their pets

-- Markets caught selling live birds subject to RMB 10,000 fine

-- Vets caught selling animals subject to RMB 50,000 fine

Source (Chinese only): http://epaper.bjnews.com.cn/html/2014-05/24/content_513854.htm?div=-1

 

Books by current and former Beijinger staffers

http://astore.amazon.com/truerunmedia-20

admin's picture admin Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 08:36

Spencer wrote:
After seeing so much, I'm beginning to take everyone's word with a grain of salt.

I don't believe anyone would just beat a dog for no reason like that. Most likely, the dog was attacking or biting one of the officers, and could have been a pitbull or another aggressive mix. The author, of course, failed to mention that.

here's a picture of the dog that was beaten to death:

 

PS Spencer:

http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/ss/defensemech_3.htm

Denial is probably one of the best known defense mechanisms, used often to describe situations in which people seem unable to face reality or admit an obvious truth (i.e. "He's in denial."). Denial is an outright refusal to admit or recognize that something has occurred or is currently occurring. Drug addicts or alcoholics often deny that they have a problem, while victims of traumatic events may deny that the event ever occurred.

Books by current and former Beijinger staffers

http://astore.amazon.com/truerunmedia-20

aimfang's picture aimfang Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 00:53

Hi, I just couldn't resist commenting about the subway thing... am a bit surprised you think of it as rude, it may just be a cultural difference? I am ethnically Chinese, though born and raised the U.S. Of course it is rude when people push past without saying, "excuse me," but from my perspective, when people ask "are you getting off?," they are trying to be courteous and thinking ahead because:

1) If you are NOT getting off at the same stop, sometimes the mad dash off the train can cause a lot of shoving so they want to make sure they have enough time to get off without having to shove past you or anyone else, and

2) if you ARE getting off at the same stop as well, then they are fine just staying where they are (behind you), since they now know that once the train comes to a halt, they will/can just follow you out and not have to worry about not getting off in time before the doors close again.

When most people ask me that question, or when I ask other people that question, it is always done in a very polite, non-intrusive way. I mean, there have been times when I've been very pregnant on the subway, and it is packed so full that if I don't ask in advance and start inching towards the door to be one of the first ones off, I'm almost guaranteed to get knocked around by all the other people exiting the train. Doesn't it seem more troublesome to say "excuse me, pardon me" while pushing past a dozon other people when they will also be getting off at the same stop? Or more annoying being on the other end, to have tons of people excusing themselves and pushing themselves in front of you, when you are also getting off at the same stop they are?

That's all, hope that might help in giving you a different perspective that could possibly make your (and others') subway commute a more enjoyable one. Wink

squid's picture squid Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 00:25

Spencer,

What in the heck does Chinese woman going out with foreign men have to do with anything whatsoever regarding this case? In fact, what does it have to do with ANY situation? Do you have the same feeling when a Hunan girl goes out with a guy from Shanghai? What is the difference?

You sound like the shooter in Santa Barbara yesterday, with his manical laugh, moaning about how he will get his justice with all the girls who didn't want to sleep with him, how they all deserve to die, because it should have been HIS right to sleep with the pretty sorrority girls-but they didn't want him. "Why not, Its not fair. I can totally understand his resentment for the entiure world, because he didn't get what he wanted. "

And do you feel the same way about Chinese who live in America? Are they living off America's hospitality, and should kowtow? Did you know Yoyo Ma married a German girl! Oh the outrage all westerners should feel! And his sister married a Phillipino..my god what is the world coming to!!!

Spencer's picture Spencer Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 00:06

After seeing so much, I'm beginning to take everyone's word with a grain of salt.

I don't believe anyone would just beat a dog for no reason like that. Most likely, the dog was attacking or biting one of the officers, and could have been a pitbull or another aggressive mix. The author, of course, failed to mention that.

I no longer have sympathy for foreigners in China because

A) the sense of entitlement that they have, believing just because they are white they are entitled to more (conveniently the exact same reason they left the US to come to China, because they no longer felt entitled)

B) The way they disparage the local Chinese (particularly men) yet live off of their hospitality in providing massive salary advantages over locals.

C) I will ALWAYS understand the resentment that locals have for foreigners especially when it comes to women, similarly that I witnessed large white nationalist movements in countries that I have visited, largely spawned by white women going out with foreigners.

D) Foreigners can't have their cake and eat it too

Signed, a foreigner

The Dude's picture The Dude Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 00:05

What does politics have to do with beating a dog to death? I am not an English teacher, not that there is anything wrong with that. My name is Trevor Metz and I own Plan B. I took this dog in off the street and found a loving home for him only to have him beaten to death in broad daylight by a gang of thugs.

So let me get this straight, I should go back to my country because I am speaking out about it? Because I called a guy an ass hat because he said it was "unlikely" when it's the truth? Yes I am mad and I probably shouldn't call people names because they comment on what I write but I am furious about this. If this makes me an asshole as you say then I am the biggest asshole in Beijing. If being kind to helpless animals satisfies my selfish needs then I am selfish.

The Dude Abides.

Mabelling's picture Mabelling Submitted by Guest on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 00:00

Cruelty toward animal is one thing, but calling others names who are in disagreement with you makes you just as ignorant as others. I am just as appalled by what these chengguang did to that dog**, but when I was bullied by a Chinese roommate (not a friend), the chengguang in my area came to my rescue rather quickly. SO really, different area have different types of chengguan. I have experienced both. I have been "arrested" on several occasions but released with some "advice" later when I presented my side of my story. There are always very very rude policemen at some police stations. As a foreigner, I tended to get better treated than the local Chinese. When it's time for the Central Government to do something about these policemen, I am sure the video recordings at these statiosn will be proof enough to get these folks dismissed because they disgrace China and the Chinese people !!!

If you don't like it here in Beijing, either leave or help to make it better. Many foreigners here tends to be critical of BJ this or that, or China this or that. Doing something constructive or positive - you can make a difference !!!!!

I like it here and I dislike it sometimes. But I choose to stay and make a difference and just sigh about those I dislike, or change it. For example, I hated it when someone in the someone says 'Are you getting off?" Which means if you are not, move aside and let them off. I usually ignore those who said this to me. Sometimes they will pat my shoulder to get my attention. If I am in a bad mood, I will answer "What business is it if I am getting off or not? Why can't you just go around me?" Sometimes, we would get into an argument.

I discovered that to make a difference, when I want to get off at crowded carriages within the subway, I would say very loudly "Would you let me pass, please? Qing jie guo yi xia hao ma?" Wow, people will really try to make way for me to get out! Really, really really. And that's becasue so many people here are so darn rude that it is refreshing for most people to be spoken to courteously. Nowadays, I am begining to hear more and more people say "Please let me through..." I like to think I helped make a difference.

mistcovered's picture mistcovered Submitted by Guest on Sun, 05/25/2014 - 23:44

what is wrong with you, dude? he just said :"sounds unlikely", and you had to insult him because he's of a different opinion?

anyone who disagrees with you sounds like an ass hat?

just hate people like you being tyrannical assholes in the name of morality, trying to get your own selfish needs satisfied in the name of democracy.

and tell you what, why not quit teaching your native language in a 3rd world country unlicenced and go back home to be a cleanman, bus driver, or live on a house on wheel, open up a methlab and knock up some broad?

servethepets's picture servethepets Submitted by Guest on Sun, 05/25/2014 - 19:59

This is extremely unfortunate and demonstrates the seriousness of the continuing crackdown on unregistered dogs that began in 2013. All dog owners, please note the grace period for registering dogs appears to be shorter each year with enforcement starting already. If you have not registered your dog, please do so without delay. An unregistered dog is classified as a "stray" dog and has no legal rights or protections. For full details on registering dogs and keeping them safe during this year's crackdown on unlicensed dogs, please see these links below: Prepare for 2014 Dog Registration Period: http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2014/04/14/dog-days-are-coming-prepare-2014-registration-period Registering Dogs in Beijing: Step-by-Step Guide for Dog Owners: http://www.icvsasia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70%3Aregistering-dogs-in-beijing&catid=45%3Aregistering-dogs-in-china&Itemid=73&lang=en The Official Beijing Municipal Government List of Banned Dog Breeds: http://www.icvsasia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=293%3Aa-list-of-the-dogs-banned-in-beijing&catid=45%3Aregistering-dogs-in-china&Itemid=73&lang=en If you are unsure about how to register your dog or have a large dog and have concerns about its safety, please email ICVS at: ICVS_CHINA@yahoo.com. We are happy to help provide advice and counseling to all dog owners to keep your pets protected and safe. Please let us know if any questions. Best regards, Mary Peng International Center for Veterinary Services Tel: (010) 8456-1939/1940 Email: ICVS_CHINA@yahoo.com www.ICVSASIA.com

International Center for Veterinary Services

Tel: (010) 8456-1939/1940

Email: ICVS_CHINA@yahoo.com

www.ICVSASIA.com

ICVS official WeChat: ICVSCHINA

The Dude's picture The Dude Submitted by Guest on Sun, 05/25/2014 - 18:37

I took care of this dog for months and he was a kind gentle boy. He only had one eye and I was happy en I found him a home. The people that did this are cowards that'd serve a fate worse than what hey did to the dog. I am going to do everything I can to get justice for him. I hope more people speak out about this sort of nothing. They called the owner a "foreign cunt" while his dog was beaten to death. Is this the way China treats foreigners and animals? Is there no morality or justice?

The Dude Abides.

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