Why Chongqing's Volunteers Faced the State's Iron Fist

The detention of dog abuser Li Meng made headlines — but it was only half the story. At the root of the protest that forced the authorities to act lies a deeper problem: the absence of animal-rights legislation in China.

To date, China lacks laws regulating animal abuse. The Wildlife Protection Act contains only a general provision prohibiting the abuse of wild animals, which is inapplicable to the frequent incidents of pet abuse. Furthermore, that act safeguards ecological resources classified as "state property" rather than protecting an animal's "right to be free from suffering" — a logic fundamentally at odds with the true concept of animal rights.

Before the protest began, when volunteers reported the incident, police dismissed the fatal abuse of the dog as a mere "civil dispute." Under pressure from the on-site protest and online public opinion, the police opened a case against the abuser — but the charges were limited to "throwing objects from a height" and "intentional damage to public property." Ultimately, the police merely imposed administrative detention on the abuser under the Law on Penalties for Administration of Public Security.

From having no recourse when reporting the crime, to hundreds of people gathering overnight for three consecutive nights, followed by repeated violent dispersals and prolonged standoffs — the "iron fist" of the state came down on ordinary citizens whose only goals were to save cats and dogs and advocate for legislation. The two official statements that were issued made no mention of police assaulting citizens, acting as if the violence and bloodshed had never occurred.

The man involved, surnamed Li, had long posed as an animal lover in local Chongqing pet adoption groups and rescue platforms to obtain multiple puppies and kittens under false pretenses. He had previously gained notoriety online as the "Sam's Club Packing Guy" after clashing with staff at a local Sam's Club for aggressively bagging up large quantities of free food samples.

On June 10, 2026, the Liangjiang New Area Branch of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau imposed administrative detention on Li Meng. The volunteers won that much. But their treatment is exactly why so many people across China keep calling for a real anti-animal-cruelty law: as long as cruelty is met with little more than a fine, and the people who expose it are met with force, the cycle repeats.

Video editing and post: Yosee Takahashi (Feline Guardians Japan). This article is based on our report published on Instagram in June 2026.