China’s first corgi police dog loses bonus over 'workplace misconduct'

China’s first-ever corgi police dog, Fu Zai, has become an internet sensation for both his achievements and his recent run of trouble at work.

The small but determined canine officer lost his year-end bonus for sleeping on the job and urinating in his food bowl, sparking widespread amusement and sympathy on Chinese social media.

According to domestic media, corgi joined the Weifang Public Security Bureau in Shandong province as a reserve explosives detection dog in January 2024, when he was just four months old.

Despite his diminutive size, the now 18-month-old Fu Zai quickly stood out for his exceptional talent in detecting explosives, winning over his trainers and the public alike.

By October, Fu Zai, meaning "Lucky Boy," graduated to become a fully qualified police dog.

The story of Fu Zai’s journey has been shared widely on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, through a dedicated account run by the Weifang Public Security Bureau.

The account, "Corgi Police Dog Fu Zai and Its Comrades," has over 384,000 followers and regularly provides updates on Fu Zai and his fellow police dogs' daily training and activities. 

In a video posted on 19 January, officers praised Fu Zai for his exceptional contributions throughout 2024, which included completing several security tasks and raising the profile of police dogs in Weifang.

For his efforts, he was awarded a red flower, treats, and toys during an end-of-year performance review.

However, the celebratory moment took a humorous turn when a police officer revealed Fu Zai’s recent misbehaviour, which included falling asleep on duty and urinating in his food bowl.

As a playful punishment, his treats and toys were confiscated on camera, leaving only the red flower as a reminder of his achievements.

“Hope you make more persistent efforts in the future,” the officer quipped in the video, which has since garnered over 10,000 likes and hundreds of comments.

Sympathy and support for Fu Zai

Followers were quick to jump to Fu Zai’s defence, with one commenter joking, “Poor Fu Zai worked hard all year, only to lose its year-end bonus. I can relate so much.”

Another said, “He peed in his own bowl, not in the bowl of its boss ... return his bonus immediately."

Amid the wave of online sympathy, the police reassured the public in a follow-up video posted last Wednesday that Fu Zai had not been left empty-pawed.

To celebrate the Lunar New Year, the corgi was given a lavish gift package including Pacific herring, pumpkin soup, dumplings, rabbit meatballs, and even a pet-friendly version of the dish Buddha's Temptation or Fotiaoqiang, a Chinese delicacy. 

On Saturday, Fu Zai was honoured with the Annual Award of Defying Fate in a special video.

“We hope Fu Zai and fellow pet officers can grow in good health, and at the same time, we hope everyone can be kind to (animals), because the world does not belong to us only, but also to them,” an officer said.

“Lastly, we hope Fu Zai will be able to grow taller,” he added.