A resident of Sichuan, China, sparked outrage online due to his actions involving a pet dog and wild mushrooms. The individual conducted an experiment on his dog to check whether the mushrooms from his garden were safe for consumption. He fed the dog the mushrooms as a test.
When the dog displayed no negative reaction, the man served the mushrooms to his family. Shortly afterward, they became sick and were admitted to the hospital. Interestingly, the dog had stopped eating after consuming the mushrooms.
The man’s intention was to ensure the mushrooms were safe before consumption. He found wild mushrooms in his herb garden and wanted to determine if they were edible. His son, Jiang, informed Chinese media that the mushrooms looked similar to termite mushrooms sold in local stores. However, being wild, there was a risk of toxicity. The man, unwilling to waste the mushrooms, decided to test them. He cooked the mushrooms and fed them to his dog as a trial run.
For two days, the man watched for any adverse effects on the dog, but there were none, except a loss of appetite. The dog stopped eating. Despite their doubts, Jiang’s family decided to use the mushrooms. The man prepared the mushrooms for his wife and son. They ate a small portion, as they were not entirely confident. Within a few hours, both experienced nausea and diarrhea. Rushed to the hospital, doctors diagnosed them with mushroom poisoning and performed a stomach purge to remove the toxins. Jiang then understood that even though the dog did not display apparent signs of poisoning, it had stopped eating the mushrooms.
The man’s treatment of his pet dog has been widely condemned online. There are no comprehensive laws in China to specifically address animal cruelty.