Horrific animal cruelty that shames China: Wild mob kill dogs just for WALKING into a cityhttp://www.express.co.uk/news/world/441130/Animal-cruelty-in-China-exposed-as-dogs-killed-in-street-by-laughing-mob-including-policeTHESE are the horrific scenes in which two dogs are beaten to death by an laughing mob in the street - including TWENTY policemen and FORTY security guards - simply because they strayed into the wrong area.
The two Tibetan mastiffs had wandered off from their village farm and innocently ended up in a city in China where large dogs are outlawed.
Terrified, they were chased by a wild mob 100-strong and had stones pelted at them before they were shot and eventually bludgeoned to death with spades.
The shocking images have outraged animal rights campaigners and provoked fury on Twitter and facebook.
The two dogs belonged to a local villager who used them to help guard his flock of sheep.
However he was away for the day at the market and the dogs wandered off, ending up in Shijiazhuang - a city in Hebei province, north China where they are forbidden.
Villager Dewei Hsieh said neither dog was a danger and had been well trained not to hurt people.
The 52-year-old added that the younger dog was new to the job and had probably instigated the trip away from the farm and that the older dog had simply followed.
The two dogs had then wandered into the middle of an apartment complex where they had surprised an old man.
He then started shouting at the animals and threw a brick at them, which scared them off.
As they were fleeing, the dogs then ran through a small group of people and several fell over in a panic.
This led to several security guards from the apartment complex getting involved as well as other onlookers who rushed into action to chase down the dogs.
A police spokesman said: "As well as members of the public there were about 40 security guards and 20 policemen that took part in the hunt for the dogs. The policeman had guns and the locals had equipped themselves with spades.
"The brown-coloured dog had tried to hide in some long grass but it was spotted by the police and shot six times, we believe it was still alive after that and it was then chopped up by people hitting it with spades.
"The black mastiff managed to hide in a tent that was used to cover some building materials but it was discovered and chased out with stones, and once in the open it was also hit with spades and killed."
Under local by-laws the mastiffs are regarded as a dangerous dog and it is illegal to keep them in the city.
Police are now said to be considering charges against Mr Hsieh for not keeping them under control.
However he said both dogs were well trained not to bite people and he denied they were a danger.
Animal activists meanwhile criticised the way that the animals were hunted and then beaten to death in public, saying that the police could have easily tracked them and waited for the owner to collect them.
"They were clearly terrified and in fear of their lives," posted one person when commenting on the gruesome pictures in Chinese media.
Paul Littlefair, Head of International at the RSPCA said China - which currently has no animal cruelty laws - is starting to take the issue much more seriously.
He told the Express Online: "The Chinese government wants to send a message that the way animals are treated is important.
"This happened in a provincial city where people are very scared of these dogs.
"Thankfully, it is now very rare for incidents like this to take place in the larger Chinese cities where people are more aware of the issues surrounding animal welfare."
He added: "The beating of dogs to death was common in China until quite recently.
"While it is very distressing to see these things still happening at all, the crucial difference with this case is that it has been picked up by the Chinese media and is being talked about as unacceptable within China.
"Animal welfare legislation is still three to five years away, but the reaction to this case will add momentum for calls for something to be done."
