(CN) Man struggles to live cheek by jowl with best friend

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Man struggles to live cheek by jowl with best friend

By Xie Chuanjiao

China Daily

2006-11-08

 

The Year of the Dog has been an unusual year for man's best friend, with local

governments, pet lovers and loathers searching for solutions to the problem of

bites.

 

Rabies killed at least 318 people in China in September and was responsible for

more deaths than either tuberculosis or AIDS over the past five months.

 

It has become the leading infectious disease and is a growing problem, the

Ministry of Health announced last month.

 

The ministry recorded 2,254 cases of rabies nationwide in the first nine months

of this year, up 30 per cent over the same period last year.

 

Although regulations are in place in many areas, " many dog owners neither

register their dogs nor have them inoculated, plus there is an increasing

numbers of stray dogs, resulting in a dangerous environment, " said Yu Hongyuan,

vice-director of the Beijing Municipality Public Security Bureau.

 

" It's high time we launched an extensive campaign to tighten the management of

these animals, " added Yu.

 

Beijing had 550,000 registered dogs this year, but the Beijing Association for

Small Animal Protection says the city may also be home to up to 450,000

unregistered dogs.

 

" The reason people don't register their dogs is to avoid paying the 500 yuan

(US$62.50) registration fee, " Zhang Zhang, the official in charge of the dog

chapter for the association, told China Daily.

 

Another reason people don't register their dogs is because the animals are

bigger than the legal limit.

 

" Big dogs, those with a shoulder height of more than 35 centimetres, are banned

in central Beijing, " said Zhang. " If you want to own a Labrador or a Husky two

popular breeds in China and both usually taller than 35 centimetres you're

taking the risk that your pet will be detained. "

 

Even the owner's age seems to be a factor.

 

" Dogs kept by senior citizens in urban areas make up most of those escaping

registration and inoculation, " Zhang said. " The younger generation is usually

willing to spend money on their dogs, posing much less problems.

 

" We don't have any special law on raising dogs in the country. If there are

clear and appropriate regulations and expensive fines are levied on violators,

it will make a big difference. "

 

Li Donglin, a local dog owner, said the size regulations were unreasonable as

many smaller breeds are more aggressive than taller ones.

 

" Another thing needed is to develop a whole industry, not only dog hospitals and

dog food, but also leashes and toilet devices, " he said.

 

" We pay annual fees of 500 yuan, which isn't much. With the money, the local

government could establish a dog shelter to take care of street dogs, and

citizens could adopt them at low prices. "

 

Major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Harbin have all drawn up

new measures, to provide a peaceful environment for dog owners and non-owners

alike.

 

One of the latest involves implanting electronic chips in Beijing and Harbin a

practice already in use in other countries.

 

Wei Haitao, head of Beijing's veterinarians association, said the chips,

implanted in the dog's ear, neck or thigh will contain the pet's picture, name,

breed, registration information and inoculation record, plus the name, address

and phone number of its owner.

 

Each family in Beijing is allowed only one dog. Starting this month police will

be making house calls to establish records of registered dogs and confiscate

unregistered animals.

 

For some people, government-sponsored dog management is already overdue.

 

" I try to avoid getting in the same lift as a dog, " said Li Mei, a Beijing

resident.

 

" It's not only that I'm scared of being attacked, but also the disgusting

fleas. "

 

There's probably no way to referee this conflict, but Liu Yi, a researcher at

the Centre for Public Safety Research of Tsinghua University, said: " It is hard

to criticize either side since, on the one hand, dogs have been mankind's best

friends for thousands of years, not to mention how cute they are. But on the

other hand, we must respect each other's rights, which are at risk because of

the menace of rabies and animals' littering.

 

" We have to find a way to co-exist with animals urgently as the number keeps

increasing, especially since dogs have become a firm favourite among China's

fast-growing middle class and even a status symbol for the well-heeled. "

 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-11/08/content_727338.htm