In New York City’s Times Square, one of the busiest pedestrian intersections in the world, Wang Wang’s photographs appear on a giant digital screen every 35 minutes.

One caption reads: “She was loved. She wanted to live. She should still be here.” Similar billboards have been placed on a building near Taipei 101, an iconic 101-story skyscraper in Taiwan. This includes a photo of Wang Wang nursing her puppies. “This planet is also your home. Justice for Wang Wang,” the caption reads.

CK, a Taiwanese woman who spent NT$30,000 (US$930; £692) putting up the sign, says she hopes it can foster “a sense of unity.”

“It makes everyone feel like we are talking about this issue together, rather than expressing our individual opinions online,” he tells BBC China. CK has also created accounts on platforms like Reddit and X to share the animals’ plight.

“The world needs to know about the cruelty these dogs have been subjected to,” CK says, adding that he was unable to sleep or eat properly for days after watching a video of the brutal slaughter.

Elara, another Taiwanese woman, used artificial intelligence to translate a summary of the incident into more than 10 languages, including Japanese, Portuguese and Russian, which has circulated online.

Residents of Hong Kong and Macau have raised funds to put posters on buses and trains.

Within mainland China, the debate continues, with much of the conversation focused on raising awareness to demand laws against animal cruelty.

A striking caricature of Wang Wang and his cubs caught the attention of many soccer fans during a national match at a stadium in Dalian on Saturday. “Every life deserves respect and kindness,” said the cartoon that was shown on a giant screen before the game.

Local businesses, such as beauty brand Amortals and streetwear brand Wah Yan Ching Nin, have also placed advertisements outside shopping malls across the country, calling for an end to animal abuse.

Car stickers and decals featuring Wang Wang and her puppies have also been put up for sale on China’s largest e-commerce platform, Taobao.

Some of these efforts have run into obstacles. It was reported that Wan Jia Li, a shopping mall in the city of Changsha, was instructed to remove advertising billboards featuring Wang Wang.

“We can no longer put up animal protection billboards… My boss told me. I’m not sure if the notice came from the government or why they asked us to take them down,” an employee from the mall’s management team told the BBC.

Still, people have continued to demonstrate online.

“Let’s keep posting. Let’s not let the heat of the discussion cool down,” read a comment on Weibo.

“Talking constantly does not mean altering the social order. [We’re doing this] so that more people see it and realize that it is so important that we do not mistreat animals,” says another.