(CN) Beijing to give home to its stray pets

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Beijing to give home to its stray pets

By Wu Yong

China Daily

2007-08-24

 

Beijing's local government announced Wednesday that it

would take in all stray pets in the capital.

 

Residents who cannot continue to raise their pets or

who find stray dogs and cats can call local animal

relief stations, which will collect and take care of

the animals, according to the Beijing municipal bureau

of agriculture.

 

More than 100,000 dogs have been registered so far

this year in Beijing, bringing the total number in the

capital to 703,879, according to the Beijing municipal

administrative office for dog raising. The city has so

far reported two deaths from rabies - one in February

and one last month.

 

" Stray pets can cause a series of social problems, so

the municipal administration has a role to play here, "

said Wang Bin, director of veterinary management

office of the Beijing municipal bureau of agriculture.

 

He added that every district government should

organize its own team to take in these animals and

also prepare shelters for them.

 

To support the scheme, the bureau has also published

the telephone numbers of 18 animal inspection and

quarantine stations around Beijing and the surrounding

area in local newspapers.

 

" We will help the pets that are registered in our

district, " a staff worker surnamed Li at the Xicheng

District station said.

 

The capital has also established a non-dog stray

animal shelter in Haidian District that can house 800

animals.

 

" In the future, other districts and counties will also

set up shelters, " Li Quanlu, head of Beijing animal

health supervision, said.

 

However, Wang Bin said: " It is impossible to take in

all stray and abandoned animals " because Beijing has

only two non-dog stray animal shelters, and neither

can accommodate more than 1,000 animals.

 

" We have asked district governments to establish some

temporary shelters in different places. And we will

upgrade the facilities as needed, " he said.

 

The public has responded well to the news.

 

" This measure can protect both abandoned animals and

citizens, " Wang Min, a staff worker at a local

advertisement company, said.

 

In May, Beijing's Xicheng District launched a pilot

experiment under which microchips containing

information about both owners and dogs were implanted

in the hides of the district's pets. The district has

implanted more than 3,000 such chips. The program is

to be extended to other districts.

 

The city also introduced a " one family, one dog "

policy last year and launched a nationwide campaign

against unregistered dogs.

 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-08/24/content_6039817.htm

 

 

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