2025年12月11日，北京市朝陽區人民法院溫榆河人民法庭迎來北京首例寵物中毒刑事公訴案的一審宣判。這起案件源於三年前的一個悲痛下午，13歲的西高地犬Papi在小區內疑似被投放的劇毒物質中毒身亡。案件震驚全國，並引發社會對寵物安全及公眾責任的高度關注。經過三年多的漫長維權，九次向最高人民法院申請延長審限後，最終被告人張某華因投放危險物質罪被判處有期徒刑四年。法院判決確認，張某華在小區公共區域投放氟乙酸鈉，導致11隻寵物犬中毒，其中9隻死亡。氟乙酸鈉毒性極高，僅需微量即可致成年人死亡，而對犬隻而言，嗅聞即可致命。

宣判當日，李女士——被網友稱為“Papi媽媽”的李依涵（化名）——靜靜聆聽庭審結果。Papi的離世曾讓她生活陷入混亂。為了追求公道，她毅然辭去工作，自學法律，購買刑法與刑事訴訟法相關書籍，一條條研究對照，組建了“受害犬家屬”維權群，聯合其他10戶受害寵物主人，幫助老人撰寫訴狀、聯繫鑑定機構，將案件推進到公訴階段。她在接受採訪時曾反覆強調：“人要為自己的行為負責，法絕不能向不法讓步。”

在長達三年的維權過程中，李依涵承受常人難以想像的壓力：網路暴力、污蔑詆毀，甚至被嘲諷“吃飽沒事幹，好日子過多了為狗打官司”。她甚至患上重度抑鬱症，生計難以維持，但仍持續在社交媒體上以“西高地Papi媽媽”之名發聲，維持社會對案件的關注度。她並非自願成為社會鬥士，但命運將她推上了這條艱難之路。

除刑事公訴，李依涵還聯合其他10位受害犬主發起民事賠償訴訟，11名受害者均未對被告人表示諒解，堅決拒絕和解，展現出對愛犬討回公道的決心。然而，判決並非最終結局。張某華已在庭上提出上訴，這意味著法律之路可能仍將延續，但經歷了五年多的艱難維權，李依涵早已做好心理準備，深知為Papi追求公義的路從未容易。

這起案件不僅是一起刑事公訴案，也成為中國寵物保護與公眾安全領域的標誌性事件。它凸顯個人堅持與法律力量結合的重要性，也提醒社會在關注公共責任與動物權益上，還有許多制度與法律層面的完善空間。

On December 11, 2025, the Wenyu River People’s Court in Chaoyang District, Beijing, delivered the first-instance verdict in Beijing’s first criminal prosecution case involving pet poisoning. The case originated three years earlier, on a tragic afternoon when Papi, a 13-year-old West Highland White Terrier, was fatally poisoned in a residential community. The incident shocked the nation and drew widespread attention to pet safety and public responsibility. After more than three years of painstaking legal pursuit and nine requests to the Supreme People’s Court for extended trial deadlines, the defendant, Zhang Mouhua, was sentenced to four years in prison for the crime of placing hazardous substances. The court confirmed that Zhang had deposited sodium fluoroacetate in public areas of the community, resulting in the poisoning of 11 pets, nine of which died. Sodium fluoroacetate is extremely toxic; even trace amounts can be lethal to humans, and for dogs, mere inhalation is sufficient to cause death.

On the day of the verdict, Ms. Li, known online as “Papi’s Mom” (pseudonym Li Yihan), quietly listened as the court delivered its decision. The loss of Papi had upended her life. To seek justice for her beloved dog, she resigned from her job, self-studied law, purchased books on criminal law and criminal procedure, and meticulously cross-referenced the statutes. She also organized a “victim pet owners” advocacy group, working alongside ten other pet owners in the community. Together, they helped elderly residents write complaints and contacted forensic institutions to advance the case to the stage of criminal prosecution. In interviews, Li repeatedly emphasized: “People must be held accountable for their actions; the law must never yield to wrongdoing.”

During the three-year pursuit of justice, Li endured pressures that few could imagine: online harassment, slander, and ridicule, with some mocking her for “having nothing better to do than sue for a dog.” She even developed severe depression and faced financial difficulties, yet she persisted, maintaining public awareness of the case on social media under the handle “West Highland Papi Mom.” She had not chosen to become a social advocate, but circumstances had placed her on this difficult path.

Beyond the criminal case, Li also initiated a civil compensation lawsuit in conjunction with the other ten affected pet owners. None of the eleven victims forgave the defendant, all firmly rejecting settlement offers, demonstrating their unwavering determination to seek justice for their pets. However, the verdict is not the final chapter. Zhang Mouhua filed an appeal in court, meaning that the legal battle may continue. Having endured over five years of relentless advocacy, Li is mentally prepared and well aware that the road to justice for Papi has never been easy.

This case is not only a landmark criminal prosecution but also a symbolically significant event in China’s animal protection and public safety domain. It highlights the importance of individual perseverance combined with the power of law, while also reminding society that there is still much room for improvement in the legal and institutional frameworks that safeguard public responsibility and animal rights.