(Ecns.cn) – Several photos showing a group of dogs savagely attacking a wild boar have sparked nationwide controversy not only for their graphic nature, but also for the method chosen by the owners to train their dogs.
On Nov.19, several residents organized a "pig hunt" for their canine pets on the outskirts of Beijing, claiming it was the perfect way to bring out the beast in them, reported the Beijing News.
One of the dog owners subsequently uploaded photos of the hunt, in which Web users could see a wild boar covered with blood and struggling to survive after its hooves, ears and throat had been seriously injured by the dogs.
The uploader also added captions for the pictures. Under one of them it read that the boar was so near death that they could no longer bear to look at it, so they stabbed it in the heart and finally killed it. Later, they took the meat home and cooked it.
Voices of opposition quickly flooded the Internet. The dog owners explained repeatedly that it was an ordinary outdoor activity, and that they had bought the wild boar from a slaughterhouse. They also said they had given a prior warning that viewers should prepare themselves for the violence in the photos.
He Yong, a staff member of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), said such an activity may constitute animal torture, and that their uploading of the photos could be seen as a move to inspire violence and bloodlust.
