A local resident named as Mr Xu attempted to help the dog on June 5, but it refused food and water and would not move when called, said the Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association (SAPA).

The charity Humane Society International (HSI ), which is working with 35 Chinese animal shelters, said the government-sponsored culling of street dogs in Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Wuhan, Shanxi, Shanghai has continued to stoke panic.