A clip of a dog being beaten to death in China has gone viral. The dog’s owner had been suffering from a coronavirus infection and was recovering in quarantine when the shocking incident took place. It has shown how far the Chinese government is willing to go in order to realise its goal of zero Covid cases and has terrified all pet owners.

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The small Corgi was seen being clubbed by government workers when its owner tested positive for the coronavirus. A video captured in the owner’s home shows the dog being hit on the head with a metal rod and running into another room fearing for his life.

The corgi’s owner, identified as Ms. Fu in news reports, revealed that her pet was not the only one who met this fate. A number of other owners lost their pets in a similar fashion.

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A large number of pet owners fear that, as part of China’s aggressive policy to curb the delta variant of coronavirus,  government officials in some areas are exterminating pets that might have caught the virus. 

While a few cities, including Shanghai allow pet owners to take animals into quarantine with them, most areas are stricter and not as sympathetic.

China is suffering from its fourth coronavirus outbreak in the past five months and is rapidly testing millions of people and quarantining thousands who have come in close contact with those who tested positive.

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A woman from Harbin who tested positive for the virus said that three of her cats were killed by community workers while she was being treated in  hospital. The animals had tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Beijing News.

While it is evident that animals can contract the virus from humans, there is no evidence to suggest that animals can transmit the virus to humans.

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The first documented case of a pet contracting the coronavirus was an aged Pomeranian in Hong Kong that was diagnosed with the virus in 2020. The dog carried low levels of the virus and was eventually able to produce antibodies in reaction.