Pictures and videos posted online showing animal cruelty have sparked an outcry among Chinese netizens on Saturday and a manhunt for the person responsible for the act.

The videos and images posted on Weibo showed a dog tied to a car’s rear and dragged to near death. The man who was hunted down by social media users later confessed and asked the public for forgiveness.

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On Monday, the driver surnamed Zheng made a public apology on Shantou Television news. He admitted he was responsible for the images and videos posted on Weibo.

The videos and pictures uploaded on Weibo immediately went viral and gained an instant spotlight from users. It showcased a scene were the dog was tied using chains at the back of the car and dragged along the road of Shantou, Guangdong province. The images also showed the hind legs of the dog already bleeding after being unable to keep up with the fast paced car.

Meanwhile, witnesses said the dog was badly injured but was alive after the incident ended. The dog was then thrown on the side of the road, said Zheng.

Weibo netizens initiated a manhunt for the driver. Soon after the post on the microblogging site, Zheng’s name, location and number was identified after the plate number of his car was seen on the pictures he uploaded. His details were then shared on Weibo.

Zheng told reporters the animal is a watchdog of the factory where he works. He said he wanted to get rid of the dog because it had bitten many people. However, he could not kill the animal, he said.

The driver also added that he was not able to see the dog badly bleeding from his vehicle’s rear mirror. Zheng said he did not expect public outrage over his actions and that he only obtained primary school education. Furthermore, he apologized and asked netizens to stop sharing his personal information.

TagsShantou, Zheng, Shantou Television