Neighbor who stabbed dog acquitted; rare 'dog in question' appears in Yunlin court
A man in Yunlin County who stabbed his neighbor's dog was acquitted. The court unusually requested the dog to appear, and its continued positive interaction with people after recovery led to the ruling. The owner has appealed.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 13, 2026 at 13:39
- 🔍 Collected: May 13, 2026 at 14:01 (22 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 13, 2026 at 14:43 (41 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Jiang Yijing, Yunlin County, May 13) A man surnamed Wang in Yunlin County, dissatisfied with his neighbor's dog barking, attacked the dog with a knife last year, causing injury. The owner filed a lawsuit, and the prosecutor indicted Wang for property damage. The Yunlin District Court unusually requested the dog to appear in court for inspection, and through interaction, confirmed that the dog's interaction with people was unaffected, thus acquitting Wang. The owner has appealed.
Wang, due to strained relations with his neighbor and annoyance at their dog 'Douzi' constantly barking at him, attacked 'Douzi' with a fruit knife on January 7 last year, causing a nearly 10-centimeter stab wound on its right flank. The dog has since recovered after medical treatment. The owner filed a complaint against Wang for the knife attack, and the prosecutor indicted him for property damage.
Prosecutors argued that 'Douzi' suffered profound human-induced trauma, which would inevitably heighten its vigilance towards its surroundings and affect its future interactions with humans, making it difficult to fully recover even with treatment. They also contended that the pet had lost its important function of interacting with and accompanying humans.
Wang Zirong, the administrative chief judge and presiding judge of the Yunlin District Court, in order to confirm whether 'Douzi' had become distant from people and lost its important companionship effect after being attacked and traumatized, invited the owner to bring 'Douzi' to court. He personally interacted with 'Douzi' for inspection.
Wang Zirong mentioned that upon touching 'Douzi', there was indeed obvious scar tissue, indicating the severity of the injury at the time. 'Douzi' was very nervous when it first arrived at court, constantly looking at its owner, but gradually relaxed over time.
Wang Zirong interacted with 'Douzi' for 20 minutes. 'Douzi' leaned in to interact with him and made eye contact, showing little resistance. Wang Zirong then reached out to stroke 'Douzi's head and neck, receiving a positive response.
Wang Zirong stated that 'Douzi's injuries had healed, and its interaction with people, as observed during the inspection, showed that even though the judge was a complete stranger to it, a little interaction could establish a certain relationship, and it was willing to be approached. Therefore, it was difficult to conclude that the pet had lost its important functions as alleged by the prosecutor. He believed that the evidence presented by the prosecutor was insufficient to prove that Wang was guilty of property damage, and thus acquitted him. The owner has appealed.
Wang Zirong pointed out that in the legal system and terminology, pets are merely 'objects,' positioned solely as property. However, in the lives of their owners, furry children are the softest part of their hearts. He hoped that Wang's actions would be severely condemned and that he should not mistakenly believe that the first-instance judgment meant his actions were not reprehensible, but rather that under the current legal limitations, corresponding criminal responsibility could not be imposed. (Editor: Zhang Yijing) 1150513
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(Central News Agency reporter Jiang Yijing, Yunlin County, May 13) A man surnamed Wang in Yunlin County, dissatisfied with his neighbor's dog barking, attacked the dog with a knife last year, causing injury. The owner filed a lawsuit, and the prosecutor indicted Wang for property damage. The Yunlin District Court unusually requested the dog to appear in court for inspection, and through interaction, confirmed that the dog's interaction with people was unaffected, thus acquitting Wang. The owner has appealed.
Wang, due to strained relations with his neighbor and annoyance at their dog 'Douzi' constantly barking at him, attacked 'Douzi' with a fruit knife on January 7 last year, causing a nearly 10-centimeter stab wound on its right flank. The dog has since recovered after medical treatment. The owner filed a complaint against Wang for the knife attack, and the prosecutor indicted him for property damage.
Prosecutors argued that 'Douzi' suffered profound human-induced trauma, which would inevitably heighten its vigilance towards its surroundings and affect its future interactions with humans, making it difficult to fully recover even with treatment. They also contended that the pet had lost its important function of interacting with and accompanying humans.
Wang Zirong, the administrative chief judge and presiding judge of the Yunlin District Court, in order to confirm whether 'Douzi' had become distant from people and lost its important companionship effect after being attacked and traumatized, invited the owner to bring 'Douzi' to court. He personally interacted with 'Douzi' for inspection.
Wang Zirong mentioned that upon touching 'Douzi', there was indeed obvious scar tissue, indicating the severity of the injury at the time. 'Douzi' was very nervous when it first arrived at court, constantly looking at its owner, but gradually relaxed over time.
Wang Zirong interacted with 'Douzi' for 20 minutes. 'Douzi' leaned in to interact with him and made eye contact, showing little resistance. Wang Zirong then reached out to stroke 'Douzi's head and neck, receiving a positive response.
Wang Zirong stated that 'Douzi's injuries had healed, and its interaction with people, as observed during the inspection, showed that even though the judge was a complete stranger to it, a little interaction could establish a certain relationship, and it was willing to be approached. Therefore, it was difficult to conclude that the pet had lost its important functions as alleged by the prosecutor. He believed that the evidence presented by the prosecutor was insufficient to prove that Wang was guilty of property damage, and thus acquitted him. The owner has appealed.
Wang Zirong pointed out that in the legal system and terminology, pets are merely 'objects,' positioned solely as property. However, in the lives of their owners, furry children are the softest part of their hearts. He hoped that Wang's actions would be severely condemned and that he should not mistakenly believe that the first-instance judgment meant his actions were not reprehensible, but rather that under the current legal limitations, corresponding criminal responsibility could not be imposed. (Editor: Zhang Yijing) 1150513
Choose to stand with the facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
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The text, images, and audio-visual content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.