Beijing to Shelter Stray Pets

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Beijing to Shelter Stray Pets

(Xinhua)

September 27, 2006

 

Shelters and health facilities are to be built in

Beijing for the hundreds of thousands of stray animals

wandering the streets of the capital, according to the

city's bureau of agriculture.

 

A spokesman with the bureau, who declined to reveal

his name, said they'd completed drafting a regulation

on the construction of an urban shelter system which

awaits approval from the municipal government.

 

All districts and counties would have access to animal

shelters and charity hospitals which will be funded by

the government. They'll also subsidize animal clinics

that vaccinate, sterilize and treat homeless cats

paying half the costs. The bureau said they'd

entrusted several animal welfare institutes to help

the homeless animals.

 

The news comes alongside heated social debate in a

local newspaper about the countless number of stray

cats and their impact on society. The city's cat

population is growing rapidly due to a lack of

regulations which would lay out requirements for

people who wish to keep them as pets, reported Beijing

Youth Daily.

 

And people who have dogs should abide by related

regulations which, for example, require them to

register animals at police stations.

 

Several parks in the city have turned into gathering

spots for homeless cats and are suffering from being

littered with cat feces, reported the newspaper.

 

Beijing Little Animal Protection Association, the only

government-approved animal protection institute in the

city, estimated that the city has more than 400,000

stray cats scattered across 2,400 communities.

 

According to Chai Yue, a 24-year-old worker with the

Association, the cats are dumped for many reasons

including people moving home, the owner's boredom or

animal sickness. Chai said the best way to protect

animals was to establish animal protection laws as

many European countries and Japan have already done.

 

" The reason that people dare to desert their pets is

because they won't be charged if they do, " Chai said.

" If the law says people will be fined heavily for such

behavior they'll definitely think twice before

throwing out their cats. "

 

Chai's association, three protection groups and a

dozen online committees, are currently trying to

protect these animals. But there's a shortage of funds

and it was difficult to find homes for the cats, said

Chai.

 

According to animal experts stray animals not only

pollute the environment but can also spread infectious

diseases.

 

http://www.china.org.cn/english/environment/182357.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

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