Woof justice as rabies fear leads China to target man's best friend

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Woof justice as rabies fear leads China to target man's best friend

JANE MACARTNEY

The Times, London

Nov 09 06

 

FOR hundreds of millions of couples with just one child, or for the elderly no

longer supported by an extended family, life is about to become a little more

lonely in China.

 

Police in Beijing announced yesterday they had followed up the country's

" one-child policy " with a " one-dog policy " aimed at limiting the number of man's

best friend on the streets.

 

Neighbours and friends, families and dog lovers congregate on city corners after

dark to compare their canine companions.

 

One reason they emerge on to Beijing's narrow streets only at night is to avoid

the dog catchers. All city dogs must be registered. However, most owners fail to

see the need for adding another layer of bureaucracy into lives already

circumscribed by rules and red tape.

 

After all, the registration fee costs a hefty 500 yuan (€52) - well beyond the

means of the average Beijing resident.

 

Official numbers show 550,000 dogs are registered in the city. The Beijing

Association for Small Animal Protection estimates that another 450,000 dogs have

homes in Beijing. That is one dog for every 14 citizens.

 

What worries the police is that cases of rabies soared 30pc in the first nine

months of this year to 2,254.

 

In September, 318 people died of rabies - making the disease officially

responsible for more deaths in China than tuberculosis or AIDS.

 

Already, dog collectors have begun night patrols to round up unregistered and

uninoculated dogs - and they are not destined for the Beijing equivalent of the

Battersea Dogs' Home. They will almost certainly be put down.

 

That is why it has become something of a ritual for dog lovers to promenade with

their pets under cover of darkness. Within city limits, dog sizes are limited -

to about 7inches in height.

 

For would-be owners who are not sure if their dog conforms, the city authorities

regularly illustrate billboards with photographs and descriptions of the kinds

of canines that may be kept.

 

Pedestrians are not only at risk from a rabies-infected nip, they may also trip

over one of the many tiny breeds that scamper down narrow alleys.

 

Announcing the new canine constraints, the government said: " Each family is

permitted to raise one dog. Large dogs, ferocious dogs and the unregulated

raising of dogs are not allowed. "

 

Offenders will face a fine of up to 5,000 yuan (€522) and their dogs will be

taken into custody.

 

Police face a daunting challenge. About 150 million dogs are believed to roam

China unregistered.

 

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