Shenzhen Centre planned to home stray animals

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Centre planned to home stray animals

By Chen Hong(China Daily)

Updated: 2006-05-12 06:10

 

 

SHENZHEN: A group is stepping up efforts to build a rescue centre for

stray animals after two dogs mauled a 5-year-old boy.

 

The youngster was attacked last Wednesday while he was playing at

his school campus in Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province.

 

He suffered serious injuries to his right ear, neck, back and limbs

and underwent surgery for 5 hours, but is now recovering.

 

The incident has raised concerns over the management of stray animals

in the city.

 

The city's pet association said it was already planning a rescue

centre to take the growing number of stray animals off the streets.

 

Nobody claimed ownership of the dogs following the attack on the boy.

 

According to Shenzhen's urban management department, its law

enforcement team has captured 1,511 unregistered dogs so far this

year, of which nearly half were strays. The number is twice that of

the same period last year.

 

Shenzhen Pet Association estimates there are at least 10,000 stray

animals, such as cats and dogs, wandering in the city.

 

" Such a large amount of stray animals pose potential threats to

citizens, especially children. More dangerously, many of the animals

are carrying the deadly rabies virus, " Zeng Fanhua, secretary-general

of the association, a non-governmental organization, told China Daily.

 

The city's urban management department currently only provides a

hotline for citizens to report stray animals, and warns people to

keep away from them

 

" There is a great need for a rescue centre, which better protects the

stray animals and creates a safer society, " Zeng said.

 

The association submitted a proposal to the urban management

department earlier this year for financial support for the project.

 

" We hope the government can allocate an area of land of 5,000 to

8,000 square metres to build the centre, and 3 to 5 million yuan

(US$374,000-624,000) to launch the project, " Zeng said.

 

" If the centre is built, we will carry out full examinations of the

stray animals and treat them for any diseases. When they become

healthy, they could be adopted. For those with incurable diseases, we

will deal with them in a humane way. "

 

While the urban management department is believed to be positive

about the centre, it refused to give an official comment.

 

Zeng said the association would seek support from corporations and

charity funds to finance it if the government department refused to

help.

 

" We hope anyone with a loving heart will do something to help these

poor animals, " Zeng said.

 

A revision to the regulation on pet registration and management fees

should also improve the problem of strays when it comes into effect

in July. It will scrap the current 5,000 yuan (US$624) registration

fees for owning a dog, and cut the annual management charge from

2,000 yuan (US$245) to 300 yuan (US$38).

 

(China Daily 05/12/2006 page3)

 

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