WangWang’s Legacy

Turning Tragedy Into a Movement for Compassion

A large digital billboard featuring WangWang and her puppies was displayed at a soccer game in DaLian city in front of 60,000 fans.

When WangWang, a mother dog in Guangdong Province, China, was brutally beaten, burned, and forced to watch as her four puppies were killed in front of her, people around the world were shocked and outraged. 

Guangzhou, near where this terrible act of cruelty happened, had the largest billboard.

This act of cruelty sparked an extraordinary public outcry within China. Chinese animal advocates did not want Wang Wang's story to go unnoticed; they wanted more people to know about this tragedy. They pooled their own money to purchase digital billboards in city centers, shopping malls, and sports arenas so WangWang’s story could continue to be seen.

Digital billboards featuring WangWang and her puppies have appeared in cities across China.

Compassionate citizens are taking their message to the streets, holding peaceful “Stop Animal Abuse” banners and sharing photographs of their demonstrations. Their determination sends a powerful message: WangWang’s life mattered, and animal cruelty should not be ignored.

The four boys responsible for the torture and killing of WangWang and her puppies will be sent to reform school. Because they are 14 or younger, this is the most severe punishment permitted under current Chinese law.

But perhaps the most meaningful development is that all elementary and junior high schools in Jieyang, the city where this horrific abuse occurred, will now provide mandatory humane education, teaching students compassion and respect for animals.

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These courageous young people are finding creative ways to combat censorship.

They remind us that compassion and hope is growing throughout China.

This is precisely the kind of change Duo Duo Project has worked toward for more than 13 years.

When China eventually passes meaningful animal welfare legislation, we believe people may look back on WangWang's case as a turning point, one that awakened millions to the urgent need for stronger protections for animals.

We believe laws matter. But laws alone cannot change hearts, transform cultural attitudes, or prevent cruelty. Lasting change begins when children learn to see animals as living beings worthy of kindness, protection, and respect.

With your support, Duo Duo Project has now reached more than 80,000 children and their families through humane education and community outreach in the city of Yulin and beyond. Yulin is the epicenter of the Chinese dog and cat meat trade and the home of the infamous Dog Meat “Festival.”

Every art class, summer camp, community event, and conversation is an opportunity to plant seeds of compassion that can grow for a lifetime. And we are seeing those seeds take root.

Caring citizens work together on a daring dog rescue in China.

Our team recently shared the story of a frightened puppy trapped in a sewer pipe. A group of strangers came together to rescue him. They saw a vulnerable animal in need and chose to help.

China is a vast country filled with people from every background and perspective. Horrific acts of cruelty occur, but so do extraordinary acts of kindness. We must never allow one terrible crime to define an entire nation or overshadow the countless people working every day to protect animals.

WangWang’s story is heartbreaking. But it may also become a turning point, a moment that awakens people to the need for change and strengthens the voices of those demanding compassion.

Together, we are helping compassion gain ground.

And by teaching the next generation to love and appreciate dogs and cats, we are building a future where they are cherished as beloved companions, not victims of cruelty.

A heartfelt memorial mural of WangWang and her puppies on a residential wall. People are taking photos of it, sometimes with their own dogs, and sharing it with their friends so WangWang’s story can continue to be seen.

You can directly contribute to a more humane future in the form of a legacy gift. Your future contribution costs nothing today, but it ensures we can remain on the ground in China, changing hearts and minds and ensuring that dogs and cats are valued as members of the family, not victims of animal abuse. 

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Thank you for standing with us.