(CN) Rein in dog market, say observers

December 12, 2006

Rein in dog market, say observers

China Daily

December 04, 2006

People familiar with the market for pet dogs in China are urging the government

to raise taxes on dog breeders to eliminate rampant profiteering in this largely

unregulated sector, according to a Xinhua News Agency report.

In the latest example of the soaring profits to be made in the country's pet-dog

market, Beijia Pet Shop in Shanghai sold a three-month-old Chow Chow last week

for 550,000 yuan (US$70,513).

" I have sold 11 pet dogs for 7.1 million yuan (US$910,256) in the past two

months, " said the shop owner.

Dog-ownership has been on many people's minds in the capital recently as

authorities have sought to combat the spread of rabies. The campaign has

apparently not dissuaded many pet lovers from splashing out on what they think

are expensive dog breeds.

Yang Zhenshan, manager of the Aisida Famous Pet Dog Market, Beijing's largest

pet dog market, told Xinhua News Agency that because many people cannot tell the

difference between a leading breed and a mongrel, dogs worth less than 1,000

yuan (US$128) regularly sell for twice that amount.

One of the most costly dog breeds being sold in Beijing at the moment is the

Tibetan mastiff. This native of Northwest China's Qinghai Province sells for

about 1,000 yuan (US$128) in its home province. This same breed generally

fetches anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 yuan (US$3,846 to 6,410) in Beijing, with

some particularly well-formed Tibetan mastiffs going for as much as 1 million

yuan (US$128,205).

Yang said many new people had been lured into the dog-breeding market after

hearing about the huge profits to be made.

Beijing has more than 300 large pet dog breeding farms.

" A large farm refers to one that can breed more than 50 pet dogs, " Yang said.

" But only around 10 per cent of the farms are licensed. "

Hong Dayong, a professor at Renmin University of China, was quoted as saying

that the government should impose higher taxes on the sale of dogs to end the

profiteering.

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[Poster's Note: The following photos were taken at Beijing's Aisida Famous Pet

Dog Market mentioned in the article above. These photos were taken Nov. 24. The

crackdown/removal of large canines in parts of Beijing began on Nov. 6.]

Getty Images:

Beijing, CHINA:

A cleaner prepares to enter a kennel in her morning rounds at the Aisida canine

market in Beijing 24 November 2006. (GOH CHAI HIN/AFP/Getty Images)

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Dogs wait for buyers as they go on display at the Aisida canine market in

Beijing, 24 November 2006.