China Focus: Public bark over stolen guide dog

The theft of a guide dog in China has prompted heated public discussion about dog theft.

Qiaoqiao, a black Labrador Retriever, was reportedly forced into a minivan and taken away in Beijing's Shunyi District on Monday night, according to Qiaoqiao's owner Tian Fengbo.

"My assistant was walking the dog when a grey minivan approached slowly, someone suddenly grabbed Qiaoqiao and it immediately drove away," Tian told Xinhua.

Tian, a blind masseur, said he took Qiaoqiao home six years ago and that his daily life relies on the dog.

"She is like my family," he said.` News of the stolen dog went viral on China's social media, with netizens demanding to know its whereabouts. A post about the story has been forwarded more than 20,000 times on microblog Sina Weibo.

Qiaoqiao was secretly returned on Tuesday night, wearing a sticker that said, "Please forgive me," a plea presumably from the thief rather than the dog.

Beijing police confirmed the news on Weibo, while also urging the thieves to turn themselves in and seek leniency.

The story has spurred a wave of discussion on the Internet, with many calling for "harsh penalties for dog thieves."

"This is absolute robbery! Authorities should consider making laws to prevent dog theft!" wrote Weibo user Siyueyixiaox.

Eating dog meat is a tradition in many Chinese localities, with many people believing that the practice can help keep illness at bay. This has led many illegal "Goufanzi" (dog dealers) grab dogs (strays and pets alike) to sell them cheaply to dog-meat restaurants. Some thieves have even used poison darts.

On Tuesday, another Labrador Retriever in Beijing's Miyun District was stolen by thieves driving a minivan, according to the Beijing Morning Post. Furious netizens have launched a manhunt -- or is a doghunt?

Earlier this month, police in Fangshan District busted a dog-theft group, which had stolen more than 100 dogs in Beijing and neighboring Hebei Province in just two months. The suspects sold the dogs to a dog-butcher at a price of eight yuan (1.2 U.S. dollars) per kilo, according to the Beijing News.

Fangshan policeman surnamed Du said that dog thieves usually work in pairs, with one driving a minivan and the other catching the dogs.

"Such cases are frequent in the suburbs, where many watch dogs are kept," Du said. "If thieves see a dog without the owner around, they drive over, put a noose over the dog and pull it on board."

Some thieves break into yards when the house owner is not home and take the dogs away, Du added. "If they find cameras installed, they usually steal the computer host to prevent being caught."

Du urged authorities to install surveillance cameras in yards and major roads and keep the computer hosts hidden.

"People should report cases of dog theft to police," Du said. Endi