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Fran Lu

A Chinese man who was spotted riding a modified electric bicycle powered by his pet dog has faced online allegations of animal abuse.
A video clip that went viral online shows the man from eastern China’s Jiangsu province riding on the modified bike on a road on March 16.

The bike’s battery had been removed and a reined golden retriever was running under the seat. The dog’s mouth was also muzzled.
The man also has a stick in his right hand, with which he seemed to whip the dog.
The video was filmed and posted by another bike rider.
Local traffic police have reportedly tracked down the man, but only educated him since he is a senior.

The police stopped him under a regulation that bans illegally modified vehicles from being used on public roads.
The police did not publish the details of the elderly man and his dog. It is not known whether the animal was injured.
China’s Road Traffic Safety Law does not cover drivers bringing pets on the road. China also lacks an animal welfare law that prohibits the mistreatment of pets.

The case triggered a heated online discussion, with some accusing the man of animal abuse.
“I pity the dog that became his pet,” one said.
“It is wrong to muzzle the dog so tightly when they are running. They will not be able to breathe well,” said another.
There was also some discussion about the safety of such modification.
“How is he supposed to stop the vehicle?” one person said.
“He would not be able to fully control the vehicle, which is dangerous for both himself and other people,” said another.

Some people also cited an old folk saying that goes “Riding a dog would lead to a worn-out crotch, and riding a cat would lead to rotten eyes”.
The saying was often used by the countryside elderly to educate their children not to try to play with their pets or stray animals.
Letting a dog power a modified electric bike is actually not the man’s invention. Last year, a vlogger filmed himself riding such bikes for fun.
The vlogger is a dog trainer from northern China’s Hebei province. He named the bikes he modified “magic tools for dog walking”.
The SCMP reached out to an animal organisation for comment but did not receive a response.


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Chinese man modifies electric bike, uses dog as power source, draws animal abuse criticism

A Chinese man modified his electric bicycle by removing its battery and using his golden retriever to power it, drawing criticism for potential animal abuse. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

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Accusations of animal abuse were made against the man after the story was reported by a local television station. Photo: sohu.com

The dog involved was a golden retriever, like the one pictured above in Beijing. Photo: Shutterstock

A busy crossing with waiting motorbikes in China’s Jiangsu province where the incident took place. Photo: Shutterstock

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Elderly road rider filmed using dog placed under his seat to make vehicle move; has stick in his hand thought to have been used to whip animal


Elderly road rider filmed using dog placed under his seat to make vehicle move; has stick in his hand thought to have been used to whip animal.


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Chinese man modifies electric bike, uses dog as power source, draws animal abuse criticism

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Elderly road rider filmed using dog placed under his seat to make vehicle move; has stick in his hand thought to have been used to whip animal

Elderly road rider filmed using dog placed under his seat to make vehicle move; has stick in his hand thought to have been used to whip animal