Mystery boxes containing live animals for sale in China.

Live animals including dogs, cats, tortoise, and rabbits are amongst the many animals people in Mainland China can purchase for as low as 9.9 RMB, (approximately HK$43) in a ‘live mystery box’. What is even more surprising than their existence, is that more than 6000 of these mystery boxes have been sold.

Mystery boxes are comparable to Japan’s lucky bag where sellers would reveal the plethora of items one may receive, stirring feelings of both excitement and anticipation in buyers. These feelings are short-lived as people open their boxes akin to opening a Christmas present, only to find out some of these animals had fallen below their expectations.

One purchaser splashed out over HK$4000 in vet fees after the dog in the mystery box fell sick shortly upon arriving, while another released a cat into the wild after claiming that they had felt duped. There were suspicions that the animals contained in these mystery boxes had not received vaccinations, contrary to what the seller claimed on the website. There is no information on how the seller obtained these dogs, although there were speculations that strays were used to meet the demands. One buyer who opened the box to only discover that one of the two dogs was already dead, demanded an immediate refund. Some of the dogs and cats were only a few weeks old, and it’s unlikely they would survive the journey to their ultimate destination, especially when they have been deprived of food and water for long periods of time. The animals have to endure both the darkness inside these boxes as well as being toss around in the boxes during their transit.

In another heart-wrenching story shared by a Weibo user, a buyer swiftly rejected a two-month-old kitten upon arrival at the buyer’s doorstep. The buyer abandoned the cat, still in the crate, upon realising that it wasn’t the hairless cat they had wanted. A kind passerby heard faint meowing coming from the crate and saw the frail-looking cat; its fur still wet from the rain. The kind-hearted passerby decided to take the matter into her own hands, and after many back and forth with the delivery company and parties involved, they managed to take the kitten into their care. Luckily for this kitten, there was a happy ending, but more often than not, the animals trapped inside do not even get the chance to experience life.

Isobel Zhang, co-founder of the Chinese branch of ACTAsia, a non-profit organisation that promotes animal welfare and sustainable social change throughout the Asia-Pacific region, said the concept of buying and selling pets online and shipping them in boxes was reprehensible.

“Would you put a three-year old child in a gift box?” she said. “It is not just the vendors who lack a conscience, but consumers too.”

The Szcat Animal Protection Volunteer Association, based in the south China city of Shenzhen, said the low cost of the animals was a major cause for concern as it suggested people did not properly value them.

“If people casually buy pets online simply because they are cheaper, how can you expect them to take due care of them?”

The way in which the animals were transported was also worrying, the person said: -

“The often rough processing and handling of courier packages is not at all suitable for moving animals…It would be very frightening for them.”

The abandonment rate for these mystery box animals is extremely high. Many buyers would not hesitate to chuck these 9.9RMB animals aside when the initial phase of excitement fizzles out and comes along responsibilities. The low cost of these animals means that to an irresponsible owner, they are purely expendable and they are more likely to “try their luck” again, rather than provide the love and attention the animal they received needs. Many netizens have criticised the seller and the buyers for buying into this crazy idea and not respecting animal lives.

After this issue came to light, the shop quickly took down these live mystery boxes.

Courtesy of Amelia Wang.