A DOG owner who jumped into a dogfight between his Pug and a Samoyed, knifing the Samoyed nearly to death, could face administrative detention after he refused to pay the Samoyed’s vet bills, the Daily Sunshine reported Thursday.

    The Pug owner, surnamed Yang, agreed to the police’s request for a Wednesday afternoon mediation meeting with the owner of the Samoyed, surnamed Wang.

    Veterinary expenses for treating the Samoyed are estimated to reach 10,000 yuan (US$1,639). Wang has already paid 5,000 yuan for a four-hour surgery after the attack.

    It started Monday evening. While strolling in the same garden area of both owners’ apartment complex, Yang’s Pug and Wang’s Samoyed suddenly took exception to the other’s presence and went at it. Seeing his smaller Pug matched against the larger Samoyed, the furious Yang yelled at his wife to drop a kitchen knife from their home above the yard area. Snatching up the knife from the ground he attacked the Samoyed, seriously damaging the dog’s back.

    Still, days later in the mediation room at a police station in Nanshan District, Yang rejected Wang’s request for reimbursement of the vet expense. Yang claimed that he should only be responsible for his own dog’s treatment.

    Wang said a mediator offered her 2,000 yuan in compensation during the mediation and she declined.

    After four hours of mediation, no agreement was reached. Police said they were preparing to detain Yang because damaging public or private property worth at least 5,000 yuan can be subject to criminal prosecution.

    Shenzhen lawyer Zhu Bing opined that Yang did not act for reasons of legitimate self-defense, but was rather overreacting by hacking the opposing dog. He said Wang can safeguard her rights by lodging a civil lawsuit. A public security law in China states that deliberately causing damage to public or private property could bring five to 10 days of detention plus a maximum fine of 500 yuan.

    (Anna Zhao)