The killing of a corgi shows how government power has grown in China in the name of stopping Covid

NS disturbing scene, recorded by security cameras and shared online by dog owner, showing the last moments before the pet was killed by Covid prevention personnel in its home in Shengrao city, southeast China’s Jiangxi province, on Friday, while the corgi’s owner was under mandatory quarantine at a nearby hotel.

Local governments in China are under great pressure to curb infections, because new Delta variant outbreak continues to spread across the country. To date, more than 1,300 cases have been reported in about two-thirds of the provinces in the country.

Amid shock and anger, the dog’s death has sparked heated debate over animal rights, as well as reflections on how unchecked government power can be extended. to what extent during the pandemic at the expense of individual rights.

The community where the dog lives is under lockdown due to a small number of confirmed Covid-19 cases. The owner said on Weibo, a Chinese Twitter-like platform, that all residents are required to enter a government quarantine on Friday and are not allowed to bring their pets.

The owner, whose surname is Fu and has so far tested negative for the virus, said community workers had repeatedly reassured her before she left for quarantine on Friday morning that they would not arrest or kill the dog during the disinfection of the building. But in the afternoon, Covid workers stormed into her apartment to beat the dog, according to the owner.

“The dog tried to avoid being hit and ran into the bedroom, so it wasn’t captured by the surveillance cameras, but (I) could hear faint groans. Minutes later they said they had handle it and will handle it.” it goes, holding a yellow plastic bag in their hands,” she wrote in a deleted post.

“Even now I don’t know if my dog ​​is alive or dead, and where it was taken,” she added.

In a statement late Saturday, the local government of Tan Chau district, where the complex is located, confirmed the dog was killed as part of a need to “thoroughly disinfect” homes in the community.

But they admitted Covid workers had “safely handled” the dog without adequate communication with the owner. The workers involved were criticized and removed from their positions.

However, on Weibo, the owner said she was pressured by local authorities and her employer to delete her posts. CNN has reached out to the owner, who was not named by the authorities, and the Jiangxi provincial government for comment.

Animals in different countries have contracted Covid-19, including domestic animals, zoo animals and livestock, with humans being the main source of these infections.

But although scientists say Covid-19 may have originated in animals before spreading in humans, there is no evidence animals play a significant role in spreading the virus to humans. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And in the latest incident, the dog was killed before it was tested for Covid, according to the owner.

“When they hadn’t even confirmed if the dog was negative or positive (for Covid), they broke into the owner’s house and beat the dog to death. Is this government management?” a top commenter on Weibo said.

In its statement, the county government said residents were asked not to lock their doors before they left for quarantine, and Covid prevention officers forcibly opened the doors for homeowners in the presence of of police officers.

The move has sparked a backlash from pet owners and sympathizers, while others see it as a necessary sacrifice for the “greater good” of society, arguing that life of humans is more important than animals’.

But for some, another important question needs to be asked: how much extra power has the government amassed in the name of containing Covid, at the expense of individual rights and liberties?

“From the previous killing of three cats to the murder of a dog today, it just keeps getting worse. The so-called ‘animal rights’ debate is merely a disguise – the problem is The focus here has always been on the violation of the individual (rights) by the ever-expanding state power,” said a comment on the Chinese social networking site Douban.