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Kittens And Puppies Offered As Prizes In Chinese Gaming Machine

Kittens And Puppies Offered As Prizes In Chinese Gaming Machine

The machines have now been taken away and the animals are up for adoption

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A number of kittens and puppies have been freed after being discovered living inside a game machine, to be given away as prizes.

The machine was found in a shopping centre in Shanghai and has caused a public outrage in China, after the video showing them living in cramped conditions while looking very tired and unhappy was shared to Weibo - a Chinese social media app similar to Twitter.

The company that operated the machines has now been forced into a public apology and has shut down the machines following the outcry.

The whole incident started when a Chinese supermodel called Ju Xiaowen shared the video with her three million or so followers on Tuesday.

Weibo/Ju Xiaowen

It showed the game machine fitted with cages, one of which contained three kittens and another with dogs, as well as a set of instructions claiming that users could win 'the top prizes' after playing an on-screen game.

The short video has been viewed more than 1.2 million times and - quite rightly - attracted the ire of members of the public and animal rights organisations, who have called the machines 'outrageous'.

One person commented: "Oh my god, putting live animals in the machine like that is so dangerous. Is this company out of their mind?"

Another said: "Pets should be treated like family members, not as gifts or prizes!"

Weibo/Ju Xiaowen

Animal rights organisation PETA soon joined the growing number calling for the machines to be removed and the animals rescued.

They told MailOnline: "Animals aren't disposable toys,

"It's not a harmless arcade game but rather a matter of life and death.

"Live animals - including lobsters, turtles, and crabs - are commonly sold in claw machines across China.

"They can easily be hurt by being repeatedly dropped, and some have been left to endure a painful death from dehydration or starvation."

The company that operated the machines is called Yi Chong Yi Wu, and they quickly removed the machines on Wednesday in the wake of the criticism.

Yi Chong Yi Wu also issued an online apology, claiming that the machine was put into the shopping centre last Friday as part of a Halloween event.

The company also said that staff members were required to clean the cages and feed the poor creatures several times a day.

It added that the animals were taken out of the cage to be looked after by vets in the evenings.

Weibo/Ju Xiaowen

The reason the animals looked so tired in the video, the company claimed, was 'due to bad ventilation of the machine'.

A statement read: "We have sincerely understood the suggestions raised by netizens. At the same time, we decided to shut down the project for rectification,

"The machine will not be placed in crowded places such as malls before a new plan is released. Meanwhile, we will improve the problems of the machine and the interactive process."

In total, 14 pets had been displayed in the machine, and those animals will be put up for public adoptions, according to the company.

Featured Image Credit: Weibo/Ju Xiaowen

Topics: Weird, Animals, China