A social media famous dog was allegedly served up as a dish in a Chinese restaurant after being kidnapped from a farm and slaughtered. Chinese travel influencer Guo and his eight-year-old Border Collie, Chutou, were internet stars and together they amassed more than 1.5 million followers on Douyin, the country’s version of TikTok. . According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), which first published the story, Guo recently left Chutou at home with his parents, to embark on a solo road trip in Georgia. But the dog went missing on May 11, the outlet claimed, with surveillance footage allegedly showing two strangers taking him away on an electric bike. On May 26, Guo - who had returned to China to search for the dog - located the man accused of stealing Chutou, and purportedly offered him 10,000 yuan (£1,100) for the animal’s return. The man said he mistook Chutou for a stray, SCMP claimed, but Guo refused the explanation - highlighting that the dog had been wearing a collar and GPS tracker.

Guo was later told that Chutou had been sold to a restaurant serving dog meat for 180 yuan (£20), and that his loving pet had been eaten, according to the outlet. 'The dog is dead, so stop making a fuss. I did not break the law,' the man who allegedly sold the dog said, according to SCMP. Guo apparently confronted the restaurant worker who slaughtered Chutou, hoping to recover his remains or fur. 'The hair was thrown in the rubbish long ago,' the butcher allegedly replied.

Guo first bought Chutou in 2018 from a street vendor, paying over 2,000 yuan (£221) when the puppy was just three months old. . A devastated Guo purportedly reported the incident to the police and submitted evidence of Chutou’s market value, hoping the case would lead to criminal charges. Police in Ningling County in Henan province have opened an investigation, according to the outlet HK01. The case sparked widespread outrage online, renewing debate over China’s dog meat trade.

One social media user wrote: 'I cried while watching Chutou’s old videos. Such a bright, living soul ended so tragically. 'Those who stole, killed and ate him must pay.' While some Chinese cities have banned the consumption of dogs and cats, the country has no comprehensive national companion-animal protection law, meaning pets are generally treated as property. Approximately 10 million dogs and four million cats are killed each year in China for human consumption, according to Humane World for Animals.

A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, 72 per cent of people don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it. A nationwide survey conducted in 2016 found that 64 per cent of Chinese citizens wanted to see an end to the Yulin festival and more than half think the dog meat trade should be completely banned. The majority of those polled, 69.5 per cent, have never eaten dog meat.