A video of the beating in a residential complex in the city’s Pudong district was met with horror after it went viral on Chinese social media on Wednesday.
The video, which appears to have been shot by a resident of a nearby building, shows a Covid prevention worker – dressed from head to toe in protective gear – chasing a corgi down a street and hitting it three times with a shovel. He then shows the dog lying still.
In two photos posted online, the corgi is seen running after a bus that is said to be isolating its owner. Another photo shows that his body was taken out in a plastic bag.
The video and photos have been republished and deleted by many users. CNN could not identify the original uploader.
The owner of the corgi was quarantined during the attack, according to the state-run China News Weekly, and released the dog on the streets after failing to find someone to care for the animal in his absence.
All of Shanghai’s 25 million residents are locked up until further notice and face several rounds of mass tests. Those who test positive face mandatory isolation. “In the end, I thought I could let (the corgi) out to become homeless, at least he wouldn’t starve,” the online group owner wrote, explaining. that he had no dog food left at home, according to China News Weekly. “I never thought he would be beaten to death once we left.”
He claims that a neighborhood commission has refused to help take care of the dog, the magazine reported. The committee said it was concerned that the corgi could also be infected.
“At that time, the workers did not consider (the issue) very comprehensively. We will communicate with the owner and offer compensation later, “the committee said in response, according to China News Weekly.
CNN made several attempts to contact the commission.
The incident spread widely on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. A hashtag on the subject has been viewed tens of millions of times before being removed from the heavily censored site. The footage caused shock and anger, with many calling the killing of the dog cruel and unnecessary.
International health authorities have said that the risk of transmission from animals to humans is possible, but low, and there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in the spread of Covid-19 in humans.
And the Chinese National Health Commission said there was no evidence so far that people had caught Covid from pets.
“What is the use of compensation?” This is life, “said a popular Weibo post.
“Pets are also family,” wrote another user, a feeling expressed by many others.
Some have even expressed something that was once considered unthinkable in the country: that China’s battle with Zero Covid has gone too far.
“We prefer to coexist with a virus”
During the pandemic, China adhered to a policy of zero Covid, which aims to eliminate all clusters and transmission chains through border controls, mass tests, quarantines and strict blockades. He sometimes resorted to extreme measures, including separating infected young children from their parents and banning residents from leaving their homes for weeks.
This policy is widely popular with the public, and many believe it is necessary to avoid the high deaths and economic downturns seen in other countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom.
This is not the first time a pet has been killed for fear of carrying the virus. Three cats met the same fate last September, and another corgi last November. At the time, however, the reaction on social media was mixed – although some expressed sympathy and anger, others argued that killing animals was necessary in view of the pandemic.
This time, the reaction seems very different, with most online comments condemning the killing – perhaps a sign of society’s dull patience as living conditions deteriorate when blocked.
Many Shanghai residents complain that they do not have access to basic supplies such as food and medicine. Incidents have been reported in patients who are not infected with Covid, with other emergencies dying before they can receive medical attention. And those frustrations are only exacerbated by mixed reports from the Shanghai government, which just two weeks ago insisted there were no plans to blockade the entire city.
For some, the corgi’s death was the last straw.
One Weibo user scoffed at the neighborhood committee’s response: “It’s been two years, and they still think (corgito) has the virus. Aren’t these people from Earth?”
Another user said it more frankly: “We’d rather live with a virus than this vicious and perverted person.”
Add Comment