‘Chinese local officials have culled residents’ pets family by family to stop the spread of coronavirus, according to animal activists.
Widespread fears of pets being able to spread the disease began last month after a Chinese health expert claimed animals needed to be quarantined during the outbreak to stop the spread of the disease.
However, the World Health Organization dismissed the claims suggesting there is no evidence to show the virus being transmitted to pets.
Community officers in a county in south-western China’s Sichuan Province knocked on doors and ordered villagers to hand over their pets. Nanchong Missing Animal Aid Group claimed the animals were killed moments later on the street.
The organisation said the campaign was carried out at the township of Longcan in Peng’an County in Nanchong.
A distressing video shared by the group on its account on Twitter-like Weibo shows a number of bloodied dogs, thought to be dead, lying at the back of a truck.’
