A border collie who reportedly had more than 1.5 millions followers on social media was stolen by a thief in China and later sold to a slaughterhouse to be killed and eaten.Several local media reports said Chutou the border collie disappeared on 11 May while his owner and Chinese travel influencer Guo was travelling abroad. The dog was being cared for by Guo’s father.Surveillance footage allegedly showed two people taking the dog away on an electric scooter from the house, which prompted the travel blogger to cut short his trip and return home to search for his pet.Border Collie named Chutou in China sold and slaughtered, owner claims (Douyin)On 26 May, Guo contacted a man he suspected of the crime and offered 10,000 yuan (about $1,500) to return Chutou, according to media reports. Guo learned that the dog had allegedly been sold for 180 yuan ($27) to a dog dealer on 14 May, according to the South China Morning Post. The dog had since been resold to a restaurant, slaughtered, and eaten, the report said.Guo, a travel blogger from Henan province, and Choutou became internet stars after he started documenting their travels across China on Douyin – the Chinese version of TikTok.Guo is now reportedly pursuing legal action.Guo had bought Chutou in 2018 when he was just a three-month-old puppy for 2000 yuan. The suspect reportedly claimed he mistook Chutou for a stray dog. Guo told his followers on Douyin that he rejected that explanation as Chutou was wearing a collar and also had a GPS tracker (which had run out of charge), according to Chinese newspaper Dahe Daily.The case has sparked widespread outrage online in China, where Chutou had more than 1.5 million followers on Douyin.The incident has also reignited debate over China’s animal welfare laws. While some Chinese cities have banned the consumption of dogs and cats, the country has no comprehensive national companion-animal protection law, and pets are generally treated as property under existing legal frameworks.Police in Ningling County in Henan province have opened an investigation, according to HK01 outlet.One social media user said: “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.”