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Animal Rights Activists Stop Man Who Said He’d Adopt Cats and Torture Them in Livestream

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Nicholas Vincent is a passionate environmentalist and freelance writer. He is deeply committed to promoting... Read More

cat with worrying eyes is waiting for treatment in cage at veterinarian animal clinic

Animal cruelty is a serious issue in China, and it has been brought to light recently after a group of Animal rights activists in Suzhou stopped a man from adopting cats with the intention of torturing them on livestream. The incident has sparked an online debate about vigilantism and animal abuse in China, with some people commending the activists for their actions while others condemned them for resorting to violence.

The man, identified as Li, was part of a group on Chinese social media platform QQ, where dozens of users shared videos of themselves torturing cats to death. Li bragged about killing several cats and planning to adopt four more and stream their killings live. Animal rights activists, who had received a tipoff about Li’s plan, confronted him at a shopping mall, where he was about to adopt a kitten. In videos that went viral on Chinese social media, Li was roughed up and repeatedly slapped himself in the face. He also confessed to abusing five cats, including pouring boiling water on them.

Animal welfare groups have limited options when it comes to dealing with cases of animal abuse, and the first step of getting authorities to open a case is already challenging. China still lacks a comprehensive and effective set of animal protection laws, and officials in general do not take animal cruelty seriously unless the act directly impacts public health, public safety, or economic interests. Activists have raised alarm over acts of animal cruelty across the country, and even when perpetrators are caught red-handed, they are often let off with only a slap on the wrist.

In 2020, a student at the Shandong University of Technology was caught brutalizing 80 stray cats and selling the videos online. He received psychological counseling and was kicked out by the school, but received no further punishment. An investigation by the Chinese outlet Legal Daily in 2021 found that behind these individual acts was a flourishing underground market, where abusers were paid for producing clips or live-streaming their acts. More recently, eight cats were found dead—some strangled and some poisoned—on the campus of ShanghaiTech University in February.

China’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress, has proposed introducing animal cruelty laws, as well as a crackdown on the slaughter of dogs and cats and the sale and consumption of their meat across the country. While some cities, such as Shenzhen and Zhuhai, have outright banned the eating of dogs and cats, it remains to be seen if these proposals will be adopted.

Animal welfare organizations have been advocating for animal protection laws and stricter enforcement of existing regulations to deter animal abuse. They implore authorities to investigate and hold members of QQ groups accountable, and urge Tencent, the developer of QQ, to stamp out similar operations on the messaging platform. They also renew calls for regulation and law enforcement to deter abuse.

We, as individuals, can also make a difference by speaking out against animal cruelty and supporting animal welfare organizations. We can also choose to adopt a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle to reduce the demand for animal products, which can help improve conditions for farm animals and prevent the cruelty associated with their production. Let’s work together to create a more compassionate world for animals.