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Shenzhen couple suspected in serial cat adoption abuse case

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Shenzhen couple serial adoption abuse case


A post by Xiaohongshu user 秃头少女.

Key Details
Location Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Species Involved Cats
Type of Abuse Undetermined as none of the adopted cats, dead or alive, could be found
Timeline
Date of Incident Since as early as May 2025
Date Discovered July 22, 2025
Date Closed —
Status & Outcome
Case Status Suspect criminally detained for 30 days; formal criminal case filed and under investigation.[1]
Perpetrator Yang Wei (杨伟) and his girlfriend
Aftermath Sparked sustained public outrage
Person under questioning


Yang Wei at time of adoption

Name Yang Wei (杨伟)
Age 21 (at time of incident)

22 (according to himself)

Occupation Unemployed, according to Xiaohongshu user 秃头少女.,who was the complainant in the case
Known Identifiers ID and Phone(s) on record
Status Person of Interest
Involvement Primary perpetrator; contacted rescuers, picked up the cats, and was the main subject of police questioning
Punitive Measure Criminally detained for 30 days as of July 27, 2025.[1]
Person under questioning


Image from Xiaohongshu user 秃头少女.,who was the complainant in the case

Name Unknown
Age 23 (according to Yang Wei)
Occupation Unemployed, according to Xiaohongshu user 秃头少女.
Known Identifiers —
Status Person of Interest
Involvement Alleged accomplice; present during some adoptions and also questioned by police. Her Weixin account was sometimes used to discuss adoptions
Punitive Measure Allegedly under detention (as of July 25, 2025)

The Yang Wei Serial Cat Adoption Incident is an animal abuse case that was exposed on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu in late July 2025.[2] The central figure, a man named Yang Wei residing in Shenzhen's Guangming District, along with his girlfriend, is accused of fraudulently obtaining at least 22 cats from multiple rescuers over several months under the guise of adoption, with strong suspicion of subsequent abuse and killing.[3]

Background

Subject Information

  • Pictures of Yang Wei and his girlfriend from Xiaohongshu user 秃头少女..
  • Pictures of cats that Yang Wei and his girlfriend adopted from 秃头少女..
  • Yang Wei: Male, 21 years old (born 2004), from Tongren, Guizhou province.[4] He is described as being approximately 1.6 meters tall.[5]
  • Residence: Lived in the Tianliao area of Guangming District, Shenzhen, near the Yutang Police Station.[6] According to one online post, the exact neighborhood is called 田寮甲子塘玉律社区.
  • Girlfriend: Name unknown, but frequently identified as an accomplice who accompanied Yang Wei to pick up cats.[7]
  • Employment Status: According to the rescuers, both Yang Wei and his girlfriend were unemployed.[8]

Modus Operandi

Yang Wei and his girlfriend used platforms like Xianyu, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu to contact cat rescuers.[9] To gain trust, they would sometimes visit the rescuer's home to pick up the cats, and bringing gifts like fruit to lower their guard. According to one online tip, "he talks with an accent. He often arrived by electric scooter when picking up cats. He would also create a deceptive story, falsely claiming that he would be co-parenting the cat with his girlfriend and that they already had a resident cat at home, in order to make the adoption seem more stable and further lower the rescuer's guard."[10] During interactions, Yang Wei was reportedly talkative while his girlfriend often remained silent, looking down at her phone.[11] After successfully obtaining the cats, they would promptly block the rescuer on social media.[12] This occurred even when adoption agreements were signed or deposits were paid.[13] One rescuer reported that Yang Wei began cursing at them immediately after they refused to give him a cat.[14]

Timeline of events

  • May 2025: Yang Wei adopted a ticked tabby cat via Douyin and subsequently blocked the rescuer. In a separate incident during the same month, a man matching his description adopted a kitten but returned it the next day, claiming it did not get along with his other cat.[15]
  • June 1, 2025: Yang Wei adopted a calico cat via Xiaohongshu and blocked the rescuer after signing an agreement.[16]
  • July 21, 2025: At 9:43 PM, Yang Wei contacted a rescuer on the app Xianyu and picked up a mother cat and her three kittens from their home (in Gushu, Bao'an District). This would become the event that triggered the public exposure.[17]
    • Xianyu messages between Yang Wei and Xiaohongshu user 秃头少女..
    • Yang Wei blocked rescuers on Weixin after obtaining the cats.
    • July 22, 2025:
      • In the morning, the rescuer from the previous night discovered she had been blocked and posted on Xiaohongshu for help. She attempted to report the case to the Bao'an District police but it was not accepted.[18]
      • 17:33: User "小红薯65539870" commented that Yang Wei was a serial offender, referencing a prior adoption in June.[19]
      • 18:19: User "衬衫的价格是" posted that they were still actively searching for Yang Wei and were en route to another police station to file a report.[20]
      • 21:30: User "🐛🐛的幸运bot" first reported that Yang Wei had been located and was at the police station, along with two other rescuers. At this point, the case involved 7 cats from 3 rescuers, with Yang Wei claiming they all ran away.[21]
      • 22:15: User "秃头少女." posted a confirmation that Yang Wei was at the police station and that police had visited his home. The known victim count had risen to 12 cats.[22]
    One rescuer connected with User "衬衫的价格是" via Xiaohongshu.
      • 22:36: User "衬衫的价格是" also confirmed Yang Wei was at the station, adding that he was denying everything and that 5 rescuers had now connected, accounting for the 12 cats.[23]
      • 22:49: In a follow-up, "衬衫的价格是" described Yang Wei as smirking and remaining silent in the mediation room.[24]
      • 23:14: "衬衫的价格是" reported that Yang Wei had personally admitted to adopting 15 cats, though he continued to deny any abuse.[25]
      • 23:59: In a final update for the night, "衬衫的价格是" stated that 6 rescuers had now connected, confirming 17 missing cats. Police had searched Yang Wei's phone and found no Telegram, nor any tools for abuse.[26]
    • July 23, 2025:
      • In the early morning hours (approx. 00:00-03:00), updates confirmed that police had filed a report at the Guangming station and that Yang Wei and his girlfriend were being questioned separately. The known cat count remained at 17.[27]
      • In the morning, "衬衫的价格是" posted a summary of Yang Wei's personal details and noted that the rescuers had refused his offer of compensation.[28]
      • Around noon, user "爱吃馒头的奶茶怪" posted that the number of missing cats had been updated to 22.[29]
      • In the afternoon, "衬衫的价格是" confirmed the total of 22 missing cats, stating that Yang Wei did not dispute this number.[30]
    • July 27, 2025: An update circulated in the "Bao'an TNR Mutual Aid" Weixin group reported that a rescuer had successfully filed a criminal case at the Yutang Police Station. The update stated that Yang Wei was under criminal detention for 30 days and had admitted to abusing and killing over twenty cats.[1]

    Core allegations and defense

    Accusations from Rescuers

    • Illegal Possession and Intentional Destruction of Property: One commenter argued that Yang Wei's actions, aimed at illegally possessing others' property (cats) under false pretenses, met the criteria for "intentional destruction of public or private property" under China's Public Security Administration Punishment Law.[31]
    • Creating a Disturbance: His pattern of immediately blocking victims after the act was seen as malicious and provocative, fitting the characteristics of "creating a disturbance".[32]
    • Suspicion of Abuse and Killing: Given the high frequency of adoptions, the complete disappearance of all cats, and his illogical explanation, rescuers strongly suspected that all the cats had been killed.[33]
    • Suspicion of Gang Activity: Some commenters theorized that Yang Wei's lack of fear of being identified was unusual, suggesting he might be a "transit station" for a larger animal abuse ring, responsible only for acquiring the animals while others handled the abuse.[34]

    Yang Wei's Initial Defense and Later Admission

    Initially, during questioning on July 22 and 23, Yang Wei consistently denied any abuse or killing.[35] His sole explanation for the whereabouts of all the missing cats was that they had all run away from his 6th-floor residence.[36]

    However, according to information released on July 27, after a formal criminal case was filed, Yang Wei admitted to abusing and killing (承认虐杀) more than 20 cats.[1]

    Public reaction

    The incident drew widespread attention and outrage on Xiaohongshu. Numerous users helped circulate the information to find more victims. Most comments condemned the abusive behavior and expressed sympathy and support for the rescuers. One user thanked the original poster for her courage, stating she acted on behalf of all past and future cats that could be harmed.[37] The initial whistleblower, "秃头少女.", stated that while she accepted criticism for her vetting process, the priority was to expose the crimes and warn other potential victims.[38]

    Additional information

    • Other pics of missing cats that were adopted by Yang Wei and his girlfriend from rescuers.
    • According to this post, Yang Wei had a telegram account and was involved in animal abuse business:
    Yang Wei's id card used for adoption
    An online poster asking victims of the Yang Wei case to come forward.

    Yang Wei and his girlfriend allegedly used the following Weixin accounts to contact rescuers:

    • An account with the following details:
      • Name: 小熊 aj
      • Weixin ID: wxid_ew299zin35yu22
    • A second account with the following details:
      • Name: 挽筝
      • Weixin ID: yzq4347.

    As of July 25, 2025, searches for both Weixin IDs yielded no results. On July 27, 2025, activists circulated a new contact Weixin ID (x183fhofoydyi) for other potential victims to come forward and provide more evidence for the ongoing criminal investigation.[1]

    Latest information regarding Yang's case shared by a Weibo user.
    An update on Yang’s case provided by a Weixin user

    References

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 宝安TNR互助 (Bao'an TNR Mutual Aid).(2025-07-27). "Update on Shenzhen Yang Wei Case: Suspect Criminally Detained", Weibo. Retrieved 2025-07-27from https://weibo.com/5621073064/5192789910357864
    2. ↑ Information was primarily obtained from the Xiaohongshu platform.
    3. ↑ Based on combined information from Xiaohongshu users "super野辣", "衬衫的价格是", and others.
    4. ↑ Information from posts by Xiaohongshu users "Jinniee" and "衬衫的价格是" (Xiaohongshu ID: 388440312).
    5. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "衬衫的价格是".
    6. ↑ Information from posts by users including "衬衫的价格是".
    7. ↑ Information from a comment by Xiaohongshu user "Dicky".
    8. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "衬衫的价格是".
    9. ↑ Information from posts by Xiaohongshu user "🐛🐛的幸运bot" and other rescuers.
    10. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "糯糯".
    11. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "糯糯".
    12. ↑ Information from various user posts.
    13. ↑ Information from a reply by Xiaohongshu user "秃头少女." (Xiaohongshu id: 5101147917).
    14. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "衬衫的价格是".
    15. ↑ Information from posts by Xiaohongshu users "🐛🐛的幸运bot" and "iEatUp(分享外卖版)".
    16. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "🐛🐛的幸运bot".
    17. ↑ Information from the initial post by Xiaohongshu user "秃头少女.".
    18. ↑ Information from posts by Xiaohongshu users "秃头少女." and "🐛🐛的幸运bot".
    19. ↑ Information from a comment by Xiaohongshu user "小红薯65539870".
    20. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "衬衫的价格是".
    21. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "🐛🐛的幸运bot".
    22. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "秃头少女.".
    23. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "衬衫的价格是".
    24. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "衬衫的价格是".
    25. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "衬衫的价格是".
    26. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "衬衫的价格是".
    27. ↑ Information from posts by Xiaohongshu users "衬衫的价格是" and "🐛🐛的幸运bot".
    28. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "衬衫的价格是".
    29. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "爱吃馒头的奶茶怪".
    30. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "衬衫的价格是".
    31. ↑ Information from a comment by Xiaohongshu user "super野辣".
    32. ↑ Information from a comment by Xiaohongshu user "super野辣".
    33. ↑ Information from a comment by Xiaohongshu user "super野辣".
    34. ↑ Information from a comment by Xiaohongshu user "橘绿白茫茫".
    35. ↑ Information from user posts.
    36. ↑ Information from a post by Xiaohongshu user "🐛🐛的幸运bot".
    37. ↑ Information from a comment by Xiaohongshu user "凱蒂貓🐱(理智版)".
    38. ↑ Information from a reply by Xiaohongshu user "秃头少女.".

    See also

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