Guest guest Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 Thursday, October 26, 2006 South China Morning Post http://china.scmp.com/chitoday/ZZZHTYP3PTE.html by JANE CAI The year of the dog has been a difficult one for man's best friend. Tens of thousands of canines have been culled across the nation in the past few months and more will be clubbed to death soon by local governments fearing rabies. Rabies is on the rise on the mainland and blame for the disease's increase is being put on the growing number of pet dogs, the relatively low proportion of vaccinated dogs and a lack of public awareness about the disease. " Human rabies infections have rebounded rapidly since 1996. An outbreak peak is forming, " Professor Zhang Yongzhen of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention told a Shanghai forum yesterday. Professor Zhang said millions of unvaccinated dogs were a serious threat to human health. The mainland recorded 2,254 rabies cases in the first nine months of the year, up nearly 30 per cent year on year. Last month, 318 people died from the disease. Fears of rabies spreading unchecked have driven many local governments to take action against unregistered dogs - even if they are pets or watchdogs - and the most direct means of eradication has been to bludgeon them. The efforts may go some way to eliminating the rabies threat but the prospect of losing loyal animals has, for example, seen farmers scuffle with dog killers hired by the government. Medical experts said the mainland should take prompt action to control the disease before the situation deteriorates, but it is not necessary to cull dogs yet. Zhang Zhongning, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Science's Institute of Zoology, said rabies was preventable and treatable. " There is no need to be scared, " he said. " Culling is allowed by law, but it should only be used when the situation is extremely bad. " He said rabies outbreaks were not only a health issue - they were ultimately solved by improving law enforcement to better regulate dogs and educating the public to better take care of their pets. " It's common in residential communities to hear barking from early morning to late afternoon, to see unchained dogs moving freely and see dog excrement, " Professor Zhang said. " A nationwide crackdown is necessary. " Beijing pensioner Fan Yaoyu regards herself as a good dog owner. She does not know what breed her small dog is but that's not important to her. What matters is that Jia Jia is good company. " I always talk to him and he seems to be able to understand me, " she said, adding she never chained him up despite the fact he bit one neighbour. Ms Fan is one of many mainlanders who know little about rabies. About 70 per cent of families in rural areas keep dogs but only 3 per cent of the animals are inoculated, according to the centre for disease control. Most cities have regulations requiring residents to register their dogs and have them vaccinated. In Beijing, owners need to pay 1,000 yuan for registration and vaccines and 500 yuan annually as management fee. It is a substantial amount for some. Sun Jingjing, a 23-year-old Beijing dog owner, registered her pet and was unimpressed with the procedure. " The clerk was not able to answer any questions, " she said. " It has never provided any service to me even though I've been paying 500 yuan annually for three years. " Ms Sun said she was outraged after reading recent reports of dog slaughters, and said she would attend an event this weekend to show her opposition to cruelty to dogs. The event is organised by Zhang Luping , who owns a Beijing shelter for abandoned pets. She said she wanted people to go to her Changping district shelter this weekend to sign a petition against local government crackdowns. " Rabies is an old disease. It's totally treatable. Why does the nation go crazy about dogs now? " Ms Zhang asked. " The public has the right to know how the disease figures are collected and how correct they are. Otherwise, we have reason to guess that the culling spree was just the result of some senior official's personal dislike. " International Fund for Animal Welfare campaigner Jeff He Yong said dogs should not be the victims of human misunderstanding. He said owners who did not take proper care of their dogs should be punished instead of the animals. " Local governments should improve their standards to better manage the situation, especially when China is building a harmonious society, " he said. " Slaughtering animals is not something a civilised and harmonious society can afford to do. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 Good evening: After so much public awareness and some intervention from international animal welfare organizations, is the situation in South China and lack of rabies control still the same? One would think that the Chinese government and dog owners would be making progress in this very important issue. I am forwarding this letter to HSI, WSPA, and PETA. Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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