The disappearance of Chutou, a dog known on Chinese social media for the trips he took alongside his owner, ended tragically after a theft. The animal, which was eight years old and accompanied Guo on several adventures recorded online, was stolen from the owner’s parents’ house and ended up sold to a restaurant for R$22.41.
According to the newspaper, Chutou and his owner had built a community with more than 1.5 million followers, attracted by the animal’s travels and calm behavior. The dog’s sudden absence, on May 11, caused concern among those who followed their routine.
At the time, Guo was traveling to the state of Georgia, in the United States, and had left the animal at his parents’ house. It was during this period that the dog disappeared, leading the family to look for video surveillance images to understand what had happened.
Images revealed the theft
The recordings showed two men on an electric bicycle carrying the animal. Given this, Guo decided to return early to try to find him.
Days later, the newspaper writes, he managed to locate one of the men involved and offered 10,000 remimbi, around 1,293 euros, in exchange for the dog’s return. But by then it was too late.
Sold for 180 remimbi
The man said he thought it was a stray dog and that the animal followed him spontaneously. Guo rejected this version, explaining that Chutou was wearing a GPS collar and was inside a fenced property.
Confronted, the suspect ended up admitting that he sold the dog to a restaurant for 180 remimbi, the equivalent of 22.41 euros. The reaction was cold. “The dog is dead, so don’t be upset. I didn’t break the law,” the same source said.
Search for one last sign
Guo went to the restaurant and spoke to an employee involved in the animal’s slaughter. He tried to retrieve some object or at least something that would allow him to keep a memory of Chutou. The answer was short. “The fur was thrown away a long time ago,” the worker said, according to the publication.
The guardian filed a complaint with the authorities and handed over evidence of the theft. However, Chinese legislation only allows criminal prosecution if the value of the stolen property exceeds 2,000 remimbi, around 255 euros. Without specific laws to protect pets, cases like this often end up limited to civil compensation.
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