The owner of a poisoned West Highland White Terrier accepts an interview with the media after the second civil appeal in Beijing's first criminal case over pet poisoning on March 24, 2026. Photo: Screenshot from a website

The second civil appeal in Beijing's first criminal prosecution involving pet poisoning was heard on Tuesday at Beijing Intermediate People's Court. The court adjourned after a two-hour session without delivering a verdict, with the decision to be made at a later date, according to Jimu News.

The owner of a poisoned West Highland White Terrier named Papi, surnamed Li, appeared in court with her lawyer, while the defendant, surnamed Zhang, joined the proceedings online, according to the report.

The case dates back to September 2022, when Li's 13-year-old dog was poisoned in a residential compound in Beijing's Chaoyang district. A total of 11 pet dogs were poisoned that day, nine of which died. Zhang was later arrested as the prime suspect. In January 2023, prosecutors filed charges against Zhang for the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous means.

On December 11, 2025, a court handed down a first-instance criminal verdict, sentencing Zhang to four years in prison. As of December 30, 2025, the defendant had not filed an appeal within the legal deadline, and the criminal judgment took effect.

The current second-instance proceedings focus on the civil compensation attached to the criminal case. Li and her legal representative are contesting the valuation of the deceased pets and seeking recognition of emotional distress damages.

In the first trial, Li based her compensation claim on the market price of West Highland White Terriers, estimated at between 20,000 and 50,000 yuan ($2,780-$6,940), and set the claim at the lower bound of 20,000 yuan. She also sought 250,000 yuan in emotional distress damages, calculated based on her income in early 2023 and relevant Civil Code standards on loss of income. The court ultimately awarded 8,000 yuan in civil compensation and did not support claims for emotional damages.

Li described the process of assigning a monetary value to a companion animal of 13 years as "extremely painful," adding that she was on the verge of collapse during the proceedings and required oxygen support during the hearing, according to Jimu News.

She also presented more than 20 boxes of antidepressant medication as evidence to support her claim for emotional damages. Her lawyer said the defendant was uncooperative during the hearing and failed to respond directly to key questions.

Following the hearing, Li refuted online speculation suggesting she was financially independent or backed by external financial support. She said that after the incident, she suffered from severe depression which forced her to stop working and left her without income for nearly two years.

To substantiate her claims, Li submitted records of her personal income tax filings from 2023 and 2024. She said her income in the first three months of 2023 totaled approximately 210,000 yuan, but had fallen to only a few thousand yuan by the end of 2024.

Global Times