A DISTURBING video capturing a vicious attack by an unleashed dog on a small dog being held by a woman in Shiyan Subdistrict, Bao’an District, recently has ignited widespread concern and discussion among netizens, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

Many netizens expressed concern toward the injured woman and her small dog, while urging dog owners to use leashes and also use muzzles for larger breeds when walking their dogs.

In the video, which lasts over a minute, a large dog without a leash suddenly appeared and pounced at a woman holding a small dog by the roadside.

The woman valiantly shields her pet, but the unleashed dog relentlessly bites the little dog and knocks the woman to the ground. After a few seconds, the owner of the larger dog arrives and manages to pull it away.

The incident was promptly reported to the Shiyan police station, and the injured woman received rabies vaccination at a nearby hospital, according to the Daily report.

The Daily reporter conducted a poll on the Twitter-like Weibo titled “Can you accept walking the dog without a leash?” A vast majority of participants said that it is unacceptable for dogs, regardless of size, to be walked without a leash.

As specified in Article 30 of the new animal epidemic prevention law that came into effect in May 2021, it is mandatory for individuals taking their dogs out of their homes to have dog tags and to take measures such as using leashes.

Meanwhile, Shenzhen’s dog-raising regulations explicitly stipulate that the length of a leash for medium-sized and larger dogs should not exceed 1.5 meters.

“Some use leashes, and some don’t. We often get complaints about unleashed dogs and failure to clean up dog poop,” said a social worker identified as Xiaowen, who has served in multiple communities in Longhua and Longgang districts.

Another social worker identified as Dayan, who works in Longgang, noted that while most dog owners do leash their dogs, some still engage in irresponsible dog-raising behaviors, such as allowing large dogs outdoors without muzzles.

In situations where residents face serious incidents like being bitten by someone else’s dog, it’s crucial to seek medical attention promptly and receive rabies vaccinations, the Daily report said. At the same time, individuals can report such incidents by calling 12319 (the urban management department) or contacting the police, according to Xiaowen.

(Zhang Yu, Chen Yuying)