Zhanjiang motorcycle cat-dragging incident

Zhanjiang motorcycle cat-dragging incident
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Key Details
Location	Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
Species Involved	—
Type of Abuse	Vehicular assault (dragging), torture, desecration of a body
Timeline
Date of Incident	February 6, 2023
Date Discovered	—
Date Closed	—
Status & Outcome
Case Status	Perpetrator identified and "educated" by police; issued a widely rejected public apology.
Perpetrator	Xia Zhiliang (夏治良)
Aftermath	—

Person of Interest
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Name	Xia Zhiliang (夏治良)
Age
Occupation	Restaurant owner
Known Identifiers	Public (name, restaurant details, and family information circulated online)
Status	Identified and admonished by police
Involvement	Perpetrator of the February 6, 2023 cat-dragging incident.
Punitive Measure	Publicly exposed, admonished by police.

The Zhanjiang Motorcycle Cat-Dragging Incident refers to a widely publicized case of animal cruelty that occurred on the evening of February 6, 2023, in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China. The perpetrator, later identified as **Xia Zhiliang (夏治良)**, was filmed dragging a live cat behind his motorcycle at high speed until it died a gruesome death. The incident, captured on video by horrified bystanders, quickly went viral on Chinese social media, leading to a massive online campaign to identify and hold him accountable.

The incident

On the evening of February 6, 2023, on Haibin Avenue in Zhanjiang, Xia Zhiliang was seen riding a motorcycle with the license plate `粤G72540`. A rope was tied from the back of his vehicle to one of the front paws of a cat, forcing the animal to run behind the speeding motorcycle.

Eyewitnesses reported that the cat, unable to keep up, was dragged for a significant distance—later estimated to be 2.5 kilometers—while screaming in agony. By the time other motorists were able to confront Xia, the cat had died from its injuries, which included its abdomen being abraded to the point of evisceration, a split mouth, and broken legs.

After the cat's death, Xia allegedly threw its mutilated body into the middle of the road, allowing it to be repeatedly run over by passing cars until it was reduced to a pulp. A local high school student later recovered the remains to prevent further desecration. Bystanders who attempted to intervene were reportedly deterred because Xia had a large knife visible in the front basket of his motorcycle.

Online investigation and identification

The video sparked immediate outrage, and netizens launched a crowdsourced investigation. Based on the license plate, they quickly identified the perpetrator as **Xia Zhiliang (夏治良)**, the owner of a Sichuan restaurant in Zhanjiang named `老四川土扣碗 (Old Sichuan Steamed Pork with Preserved Vegetables)`.

Further investigation by the public uncovered more of his personal details, including other restaurants he operated, his phone number, and the identity of his son, **Xia Yu (夏宇)**, a Ph.D. student at the `华南理工大学 (South China University of Technology)`. Some users alleged that his restaurant's menu on the Meituan food delivery app briefly featured cat meat dishes, which were quickly removed after the incident gained traction.

Perpetrator's statement and public refutation

On February 9, 2023, facing immense public pressure, Xia Zhiliang released a scripted video apology on Douyin. In the video, he claimed:

• The cat was his own pet of two years.
• He was trying to take it home and had placed it on the scooter's footrest.
• The cat jumped off without his knowledge, and he only noticed it was being dragged after "tens of meters" when it seemed "tired."
• He then tied the cat to a railing to go back for a cage, but it was gone when he returned.

This apology was immediately and widely rejected by the public as a collection of demonstrable lies. Commentators and witnesses pointed out numerous contradictions:

• **Video Evidence**: The video clearly shows him looking back at the struggling cat multiple times while continuing to drive, and even accelerating when other motorists tried to alert him.
• **Method of Tying**: The rope was tied to the cat's front paw with a long leash attached to the rear of the bike, a method inconsistent with securing an animal on a footrest but ideal for dragging.
• **Distance**: The cat was dragged for an estimated 2.5 kilometers, not "tens of meters."
• **Prior Statements**: When confronted by activists at his restaurant shortly after the incident, Xia had reportedly been defiant, stating it was "his cat and he could do whatever he wanted with it."

Many believed the disingenuous apology was scripted by his highly educated son to mitigate the damage to the family's businesses and reputation.

Official and public response

In the immediate aftermath, activists who contacted the Zhanjiang police reported that their initial response was dismissive, citing insufficient evidence to file a case. However, following a massive number of reports from citizens across the country to the police and the `0759-12345` mayor's hotline, authorities took action. On February 7, the Zhanjiang police officially stated that they had located the man involved and would "educate" him. The lack of stronger legal repercussions, due to China's lack of a comprehensive animal cruelty law, was a major point of public frustration.