Portuguese 
Spanish 
5 min of reading 
0 comments 
How the Dog Was Taken
The story of a famous dog from the Chinese internet ended in a shocking way, with the animal stolen and, according to the owner, slaughtered to become a dish in a restaurant. According to the South China Morning Post, cited in the report, Chutou was an eight-year-old border collie with over 1.5 million followers on the social network Douyin and the inseparable companion of travel influencer Guo. The case provoked outrage both inside and outside China and reignited the debate on animal protection in the country.
According to the account, the dog’s disappearance occurred in May, while Guo was traveling abroad and the animal was under the care of his parents, in a rural property in the Henan province. Security cameras caught a man and a woman arriving on an electric scooter and taking the dog by force, even though it was wearing a collar and a tracking device. Adopted as a puppy in 2018, Chutou had become known for accompanying the owner on expeditions through deserts, snowy mountains, and isolated roads in China.
Who Was the Dog Chutou
The dog at the center of the case was Chutou, a border collie who gained fame on China’s social networks. According to the report, he was adopted as a puppy in 2018 and since then appeared in videos alongside travel influencer Guo, gathering more than 1.5 million followers on the Douyin platform. The animal was described as the owner’s inseparable companion.
-
Son of a Chinese immigrant who sold tea in the countryside of São Paulo, Zhang Ye almost went bankrupt in 2021 and today, at 28 years old, claims to earn 1 million reais per day and has become the number 1 on TikTok Shop in Latin America.
-
A shipbuilder created a wooden boat so ingenious that it turns into a wheelbarrow and crosses hundreds of meters of beach on its own when the low tide takes the water away.
-
Zawoja, the longest village in Poland, stretches for 18 km between mountains, can take an entire day to cross on foot, and brings together houses, roads, and strips of land in one of the most curious rural formats in Europe.
-
Brazilian National Team idol aims for high luxury in Florida and buys 2 apartments at once for R$ 25 million in a 45-story skyscraper, featuring a private beach club, wine bar, karaoke room, and virtual reality simulator.
The dog’s fame came precisely from the adventures alongside the owner through remote regions of the country. According to the material, Chutou participated in expeditions through deserts, snow-covered mountains, and isolated roads, which helped build a loyal follower base that followed the duo. It was this public bond that turned the disappearance into a case of great repercussion.
How the Dog Was Taken
The dog’s disappearance happened in May, according to the report, while Guo was out of the country. During this period, Chutou was under the care of the influencer’s parents, on a rural property in Henan province. Security camera footage captured a man and a woman arriving on an electric scooter and forcibly taking the animal, despite it wearing a collar and a tracking device.
As soon as he learned of the incident, Guo interrupted his trip and began an intense search for the dog. According to the report, he traveled to neighboring cities, reviewed surveillance recordings, and spoke with residents until he located one of the suspects. The manual tracking, done by the owner himself, was what allowed the reconstruction of the animal’s path after the theft.
The Animal’s Fate, According to the Owner
The hardest part of the dog’s story comes from the influencer’s own account. According to Guo, the suspect admitted to having sold Chutou for only 180 yuan, about R$ 130 at the approximate quoted rate, to a trader linked to the dog meat market. Shortly after, still according to this account, the animal was allegedly slaughtered and served in a local restaurant.
In an attempt to recover some trace of his companion, Guo sought out the establishment pointed out for the slaughter. According to the material, he was informed that the remains had already been discarded, which ended any chance of a farewell. It is worth noting that this outcome relies mainly on the owner’s account, and not on a completed independent investigation.
Why the Law Treats the Case as Theft
The dog’s case reignited the discussion about Chinese legislation regarding companion animals. According to the report, some cities, like Shenzhen and Zhuhai, have already banned the consumption of dog and cat meat, but there is no national prohibition on the practice, nor a comprehensive animal protection law. This legal gap is central to understanding the direction of the investigation.
Because of this gap, the tendency is for the episode to be treated mainly as property theft, rather than animal cruelty. In practice, this means that the loss of a pet dog tends to be classified as a property crime, with different legal consequences than those that would exist under a specific animal protection law. It is precisely this point that mobilizes those who are calling for changes.
The Outrage and What Guo Intends to Do
The dog’s death provoked a strong reaction on Chinese social media. According to the material, thousands of users expressed support for the influencer and demanded changes in legislation to expand legal protection for domestic animals. The case, which shocked millions of people, became a symbol in the discussion about animal protection in the country.
On the practical side, Guo stated that he intends to take the case to court. According to the report, the influencer seeks criminal accountability and compensation for the damages suffered from the theft and death of the dog. The judicial outcome, however, still depends on how the investigation will frame the episode under current legislation.
Chutou’s case shows how the loss of a dog can expose legal gaps and mobilize an entire society. Amid the followers’ commotion and the limits of Chinese law, the episode reignited a debate that goes beyond a single animal, about how different countries legally treat pets. It remains to be seen if the case will indeed become a turning point in animal protection in China.
And you, do you think cases like this dog’s should be treated as a crime of cruelty, and not as simple theft? Share your opinion, respecting different views on the subject.
Be the first to react!