In a peaceful Beijing neighbourhood, an ordinary day in 2022 suddenly changed everything for Li Yihan. That day marked the beginning of a journey that would shape the next three years of her life.
Her 13-year-old dog, Papi, a white West Highland Terrier, was poisoned in a children’s park. Once the shock wore off, Li felt not only grief but also determination.
Papi wasn’t just a pet. Li had raised him since he was two months old. When she later spoke about that day, she didn’t describe it as losing a dog; she described it as watching her child suffer.
As authorities looked into the case, they found something even more troubling. A 65-year-old man named Zhang had allegedly left chicken pieces mixed with sodium fluoroacetate, a highly poisonous and odorless substance, around the park.
The outcome was devastating.
Eleven dogs were poisoned that day. Nine didn’t survive.
What might have been just another tragic event became a legal battle when Li refused to let it end there.
Li turned her grief into action. She made a rare decision: she quit her job and changed her whole life to focus on the case.
For more than three years, she gave up her social life, daily comforts, and sense of stability. She focused on one goal: justice.
The legal system made her fight even harder. China still does not have a full animal protection law. Li had to use existing civil and criminal codes to build her case, learning the process as she went.
She did not stop with her own case. Li also represented ten other victims in court, taking on the responsibility for families who could not afford their own lawyers.
In December 2025, the court made its decision. Zhang received a four-year prison sentence for possessing a dangerous substance.
It was a win, but not a complete one.
Chinese law says that poisoning cases causing serious harm or death can lead to sentences of ten years or more. But if public safety is not considered seriously affected, the punishment can range from three to ten years.
For Li, the four-year sentence brought mixed feelings. In practice, it was the usual maximum for cases involving pet deaths, but it still felt like only a partial answer to a bigger issue.
The legal fight was not the only challenge she faced.
Over the years, Li faced harassment, online abuse, and even doxxing. At first, she kept her identity hidden for safety, but it soon became part of the story. In the end, she chose to show her face in public, not because it was easy, but because she believed it was right.
She wanted to take back control of her own story.
Complaints were filed, and some of those responsible for the harassment were fined. Still, the experience showed something deeper: seeking justice often comes with a personal cost.
Looking back, Li said that waiting for justice often felt like its own kind of punishment, especially when the accused was out on bail. Still, she believes the case has helped build momentum.
The case set a precedent, encouraged more discussion, and helped future cases move more quickly.
Yet for Li, her journey is not over.
Li’s message is simple and steady: every small effort counts. It matters not just for Papi, but for whatever comes next.
Sometimes, change does not start with new policies. It starts when someone refuses to let a story end quietly.