Over 40 Pet Dogs in Guangzhou Suspected of Poisoning: Who’s Responsible?
In recent days, numerous pet owners across Guangzhou have reported the tragic deaths of their dogs suspected to be due to poisoning. One dog owner from the Liwan District shared with China News Weekly that her two pet dogs were poisoned on the evening of November 8. She learned that at least six other dogs in the same area were also affected during this time.
On November 16, the Guangdong Pet Industry Association released a statement on its public account, noting that it had received multiple reports of suspected dog poisonings in Guangzhou, which has garnered widespread public attention.
The statement indicated that initial statistics confirmed over 40 pet dogs had died from suspected poisoning, with the incidents primarily concentrated around November 8. Affected areas include various districts in Guangzhou, with Baiyun, Haizhu, and Panyu districts reporting the highest number of cases.
China News Weekly learned from the association that information gathering and verification are still underway. In recent days, more pet owners have contacted the association, and the number of reported deaths is still rising. The Guangzhou police have already intervened in the investigation.
Multiple Reports of Poisoning
One of the earlier reported cases that attracted public attention involved a 1-year-7-month-old Bedlington Terrier named “Udon” and a 4-month-old Schnauzer named “Shumai.”
Li, the owner of Udon and Shumai, recounted that the incident occurred in a grassy area at Zhoumen Shiguili Square, where she had walked her dogs regularly without any issues for over six months. On the evening of November 8, around 9:40 PM, she was playing with her dogs on familiar grounds. However, by 11:30 PM, she noticed Udon was vomiting, expelling grass and dog food.
After several episodes of vomiting, Udon began to foam at the mouth. Initially, the veterinarian suspected gastroenteritis, but Udon soon exhibited symptoms of agitation and incontinence. Realizing it was poisoning, and with no proper facilities at the vet’s office, Li had to search frantically for another hospital. Shumai soon showed similar symptoms, and after three hours of emergency rescue, both dogs sadly passed away.
Li revealed that together, she had spent over 20,000 yuan on Udon and Shumai, both purebred racing dogs. During the same period, six dogs in her area exhibited similar poisoning symptoms, including a Corgi, two Samoyeds, and a Husky. One Samoyed and the Husky only showed symptoms the following day, with their owners reporting that their dogs merely licked or sniffed the poison.
From the owner of the affected Samoyed, named “Wukafei,” it was learned that the dog had met with friends in the park on the evening of the 8th and showed symptoms the next morning. Despite immediate medical attention, Wukafei could not survive. This owner has since filed a police report.
In another part of Liwan District, a dog owner reported a poisoning incident where someone had left tempting food items in the middle of a road in an unmanaged park. The owner said their dog ingested the food, despite efforts to stop it, and died shortly afterward.
In Nansha Dongchong, another dog owner relayed that her pet began vomiting after dinner, then ran wildly, breaking its leash.
The Death Toll Increases
“My daughter’s first thing every morning was to kiss and hug them (Udon and Shumai) before changing for school,” Li expressed, sharing her family’s overwhelming grief. A blood test at the vet indicated drug poisoning, but the specific substance could not be identified.
Upon seeing other dog owners report the poisoning, Li also decided to report the case. On the night of the 9th, police collected samples. She also helped identify the scene with the police, noting a specific wet area on the large grassy patch that seemed unusual.
After coming across other owners’ experiences on social media, lawyer Jiang Hao began to consider assisting pet owners in defending their rights, as he is also a dog owner.
On November 18, Jiang Hao reported that his personal statistics indicated around 40 dogs had shown poisoning symptoms, with reports of cases from both public areas and private properties, including yards and open balconies.
On November 16, the Guangdong Pet Industry Association reiterated its awareness of the situation, having received multiple reports from the Guangzhou area. They have activated an emergency response mechanism to conduct an investigation.
Initial estimates confirmed over 40 dogs had died from suspected poisoning, mainly concentrated around November 8. Affected areas span across multiple districts in Guangzhou, with Baiyun, Haizhu, and Panyu districts seeing the most cases.
The association has formed a dedicated task force to organize and verify information and is collaborating with a legal team to confirm data. They are also maintaining close communication with relevant government departments and actively cooperating with police investigations to help solve the case. The association called on the public to report any leads related to this incident to law enforcement or the association.
China News Weekly learned that information gathering and verification are ongoing; more dog owners have been contacting the association, with the death toll continuing to rise.
Clinical Challenges in Identifying Toxins
Dr. Huang Shusheng, director of the Jinsui Animal Hospital, noted that several clients reached out to them about potentially poisoned pets starting on November 4, with some dogs deteriorating rapidly during transfer. His hospital later treated a severely poisoned Bedlington Terrier, which exhibited rapid vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures after playing in the grass. Tests revealed mild liver and kidney damage, and the dog ultimately succumbed to multiple organ failure.
Common outdoor toxins that can affect pets include rat poison, pesticides, insecticides, organophosphates, and isoniazid. Pets can be poisoned through ingestion, contact, or inhalation.
Symptoms of common poisons may include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, incoordination, seizures, subcutaneous hemorrhaging, agitation or lethargy, incontinence, respiratory failure, abnormal pupils, and consciousness disturbances. Dr. Huang advised that if any of these symptoms occur after outdoor activity, immediate veterinary care is essential.
Due to the rapid onset and severity of symptoms, detoxification treatment options are limited, and some dogs are difficult to save despite resuscitation efforts. Furthermore, identifying the specific toxin often requires intervention from relevant authorities.
Jiang Hao pointed out that under current laws, pets are considered private property in China, but this does not exempt offenders from criminal liability. “The precise classification depends on the toxin’s potency; if the toxin poses a risk to human health, the offender’s behavior could constitute the crime of endangering public safety,” he explained, noting that harmful actions do not necessarily need to result in specific damages to be prosecutable.
He also stressed that due to the sudden nature of these incidents, many pet owners did not immediately think about tracing the source of the poison. He advised that if they notice signs of poisoning in their dogs, they should gather evidence and report it promptly. “Poisoning incidents tend to be secretive, making evidence collection challenging; currently, the main hindrance to case registration is the difficulty in gathering evidence.”
