A pet dog is taken an injection at a clinic in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province. Photo: VCG

The owner of four unlicensed pet dogs which attacked a 12-year-old boy from Handan in North China's Hebei Province to death was detained on Wednesday, local police announced on Thursday. 

The boy surnamed Li from Pengcheng town in Handan went missing on January 20 and was found dead in a factory 1,500 meters away from his home three days later on January 23. He was suspected to have died from dog bites, according to media reports. 

Local police released a statement on Thursday, saying that the incident had been filed as a case with the charge of involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday and the suspect surnamed Fan, owner of the perpetrator dogs, had been detained. 

The dogs involved were not licensed in accordance with regulations and had been dealt with by the police in accordance with the law. Local police are conducting further investigation into the case. 

It was not the first time for such an incident to happen in the city. Two primary school grade-four students from Linshui town were attacked by a large dog on May 7, 2018. The dog owner was placed under criminal detention by the local police with the charge of the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous means. 

The regulations on keeping dogs in Handan city were implemented on March 1, 2010. The regulations clearly stipulate the rules of raising dogs. 

Global Times