Chutou, an 8-year-old Border Collie and social media sensation with over one million followers, was stolen from his family's fields in Ningling county, Henan province, and subsequently sold to a slaughterhouse. Guo, Chutou's owner, immediately canceled his plans and returned home upon learning of the dog's disappearance.
Security camera footage revealed a man and woman on an electric motorcycle approaching, pausing to observe, then lifting Chutou onto their vehicle. According to Guo's father, the family regularly allowed Chutou to roam freely around their home and fields, as the dog never ventured beyond its familiar territory.
On 26/5, Guo located a suspect residing approximately 2 km from his residence. This individual confessed to selling the dog to a middleman for 180 yuan (approximately 630,000 VND). However, during questioning by authorities, the suspect claimed they merely "saw the dog following and then placed it on their vehicle." Upon reaching the purchasing facility, Guo was informed that Chutou had been slaughtered that day. This news quickly spread across social media, igniting a wave of public outrage.
Chutou was the star of the travel video channel "One Person, One Dog", which documented extensive journeys across Trung Quoc. Images of the dog riding in the passenger seat on trips spanning Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tay Tang, and Thanh Hai garnered more than one million followers. Guo stated he purchased the dog in 2018 when it was three months old for over 2,000 yuan.
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Chutou the dog. *Screenshot from video* |
Guo rejected any offers of mediation or monetary compensation. "Chutou was a member of our family," he stated. "I will not accept a financial settlement." He has since submitted documentation detailing the dog's social media following and the commercial value derived from its video channel, formally requesting authorities to pursue criminal charges.
Under Henan province regulations, theft is subject to criminal prosecution if the stolen property's value exceeds 2,000 yuan. Du Wei, director of Sichuan Weixu Law Office, explained that if Chutou's commercial value can be proven to surpass this threshold, the case could lead to criminal charges with a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
