Animal lovers put up billboard in Selegie honouring Wang Wang, dog set on fire by 4 boys in China: 'Silence hurts, speak up'

Animal lovers in Singapore recently put up a digital billboard to honour Wang Wang, the dog reportedly set on fire by four boys in China in June.

The billboard was displayed on the Wilkie Edge building on Aug 28 and 29, according to a post in the STOP Animal Abuse In SG Facebook group. 

A video broadcasted on the digital screen showed AI-generated visuals of Wang Wang and her pups, and asked viewers to not "let my life end in vain".

An image shown after the clip included calls for action against animal abuse, including "Silence hurts, speak up" and "A voice today, a life tomorrow".

The billboard came alongside a memorial for Wang Wang at the Esplanade Waterfront on Friday (Aug 28), shared another Facebook group member Elly Lien.

A bench in the Esplanade area was also adopted by #RememberWangWangSG, a group of animal lovers in Singapore dedicated to promoting awareness about the dog's tragedy, according to its Instagram page.

A plaque on the bench read: "In loving memory of Wang Wang and her puppies. Speak up. Protect the voiceless. End animal cruelty."

The bench was also filled with trinkets dedicated to the dogs, including letters, flowers, stuffed toys and candles. A picture taken by Threads user elletpics showed the crowds gathering with their dogs along the waterfront, near Wang Wang's bench. 

The Threads user wrote in another post that "[Wang Wang] and her pups are still deep in our hearts. I hope the world is continuing to be her voice." 

Another advocate in the Justice for Wang Wang International Group Facebook group added that they were "touched" by how Singaporeans remembered Wang Wang: "Thank you Singaporean dog community!!"

The dog's demise

Videos showing four boys under the age of 14 allegedly abusing a stray mother dog and her puppies in Jieyang, Guangdong, China had ignited public outrage.

The boys had hit the dogs with sticks and drenching the mother dog in a flammable liquid before setting her on fire. 

The mother dog was later found beside the bodies of her puppies, which were reportedly just two weeks old at the time of the incident. Netizens later referred to the mother dog as "Wang Wang".

Local authorities confirmed on June 30 that they had launched an investigation. 

According to reports, the four boys have since been placed in specialised education facilities.

The incident has renewed calls for stronger animal protection laws in China, which currently has no dedicated national law criminalising animal cruelty.

The International Organisation for Animal Protection reportedly said it has received over 100 reports from people around the world wanting the organisation to intervene, according to the BBC. 

The organisation added that it has sought more information from Chinese authorities. 

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