Motorist Kicks Stray Dog for Being in His Parking Spot–Then It Returns With Pals to Trash His Car

(Illustration - Shutterstock)

Competition for parking spaces is a massive phenomenon in major urban centers the world over. Of course, usually the competitors are humans in automobiles, hoping to snag a space when they see it, but in one instance in China in 2015, it was a stray dog in contention for the coveted spot.

The dog was sleeping peacefully in a parking spot in the city of Shijiazhuang in Northeast China when a driver came along, woke it up, and proceeded to kick it for being in the space.

While the dog was down, she definitely wasn’t out. Later on, the driver’s cruelty would come to haunt him, as the stray returned for payback, and she wasn’t alone, either. The gang of street dogs then proceeded to take their revenge on the owner’s car.

According to the China Global Television Network, a nationally owned media organization, the man had been seen attacking the dog in an unprovoked way.

The dogs were photographed by passersby, who couldn’t believe the ferocity with which they went after the car. In addition to tearing apart the flimsy exterior, one of the more adventurous of the group even jumped up and chomped down on the car’s windshield wipers.

While the people taking the pictures may have been shocked by the dogs’ behavior, those who read about the story on social media flooded the comments section arguing that the driver of the car had got what he deserved.

“We should not mistreat humans, nor animals,” one commenter noted. “He got what was coming to him.”

Others also noted that the damage would have never happened if the man hadn’t been so violent to the dog in the first place. One social media user appreciated “That moment when you witness ‘karma’ in it’s full, glorious splendor! Good for the dogs!” they said.

As animal lovers reveled in the comeuppance, one commenter wondered what would happen if the tables turned more generally when it came to humans mistreating animals. “Are dogs evolving into social[ly] conscious animals who decide to inflict damage on a person’s belongings?” she asked. “What if all dogs decided to reverse the relationship with humans altogether?”

Illustration - Shutterstock | Vahe Aramyan

Regardless of the momentary satisfaction for this band of aggrieved pups, the situation for China’s street dogs and cats remains bleak. According to the Humane Society International, 10 million dogs and 4 million cats fall victim to the country’s meat trade each year.

In addition to a poorly regulated and highly inhumane dog meat trade, which sees many animals snatched off the street to supply restaurants, the country also hosts the infamous Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival each year, for which as many as 15,000 dogs are tortured and killed.

Illustration - Shutterstock | put3d

While ordinary Chinese citizens have been vocal in protest to this internationally denounced event, with a petition against it gaining over 1.5 million signatures, the government has been unresponsive to popular opinion. Beyond the festivals, campaigners in China are trying to pass general animal welfare legislation. The country is the only one of the world’s industrialized countries to lack such legal protection, according to the South China Morning Post.

In the meantime, it would seem that dogs on Chinese streets are standing up for themselves even if the authorities won’t.