Overview
- The incident occurred around noon on February 1, 2026, in Jiangsu province, according to local reports cited by international outlets.
- The dog, a Samoyed named Xiao Wang that had lived with its owner for seven years, died after a lit firework ignited cloth inside the cage.
- Neighbours reported hearing the dog howl for several minutes, and one boy reportedly tried but failed to douse the flames with water.
- The boys' parents were quoted as saying "it's just a dog" and offering 6,000 yuan in compensation, while accusing the owner of making a "big deal" of the case during police mediation.
- The released CCTV circulated widely online and drew public anger, and some reports say a compensation figure has since been agreed, with no criminal charges reported in the coverage.