(CN) Love thy neighbor - and neighbor's dog, too

[Guest guest]

Love thy neighbor - and neighbor's dog, too

By Wang Zhuoqiong

China Daily

2007-09-21

 

You're nothing like a hound dog

 

Barking all the time

 

And you can be a friend of mine

 

In a twist of the old Elvis song, a common perception

that dogs and their owners are not popular with

neighbors has been proved wrong by a Beijing survey.

 

Of the people who do not own dogs, nearly 70 percent

said they are not opposed to their neighbors having

one.

 

In Beijing, about 90 percent of people who do not have

canines have dog-owning neighbors, the survey showed.

 

" It shows people are more tolerant of dog ownership, "

said Mao Shoulong, a professor of public policy at

Renming University of China.

 

With support from the Companion Animal Research and

Information Centre, the university conducted the

survey of 1,050 people - 357 who keep dogs and 693 who

don't.

 

Other key findings:

 

* Most consider dogs " lovely, loyal and friendly " .

 

* Half of those who own dogs say they do it out of

affection for the animal, followed by companionship

and a sense of safety.

 

* More than half the dog owners treat the canines as

an indispensable part of the family.

 

* More than 70 percent call for legislation to protect

animals and punish animal abusers.

 

Official figures show that Beijing had more than

550,000 registered dogs last year, up 20 percent from

the previous year.

 

And as the pets become more visible, they have been

dogged by some controversies.

 

In 2003, the local government revised regulations on

dog ownership, turning the focus from control to

management, said Mao.

 

About 30 percent of non-dog owners think law

enforcement is weak while 40 percent of owners think

the regulations are too stringent.

 

For example, about 85 percent of owners think there is

no need to register their dogs despite the fact that

81 percent of them have done so as required.

 

About 52 percent of owners think the fees collected

cannot be justified by the services, which they refer

to as free vaccines, public awareness of civilized dog

ownership, and medical checks.

 

Some 66 percent of the owners and 70 percent of

non-owners think that compulsory vaccines are the most

effective way to prevent the spread of rabies.

 

Man's best friend? More like family, actually

 

Wang An'an has his photograph everywhere - on her work

desk, her MSN account, her car and her family album.

 

She rushes back from work every day to have dinner

with him.

 

Dinner over, they sit side-by-side watching television

or go out for a walk in the garden.

 

She calls him " Sunday " lovingly because she met him

for the first time on a bright Sunday in May.

 

" He is a very important part of my life and my

family, " says Wang.

 

The 26-year-old holds a bachelor's degree and works as

an advertising agent, earning about 4,000 yuan ($520)

a month.

 

Sunday has brown hair and dark eyes, and is a

one-year-old Chow Chow, or Songshi Quan.

 

Wang may not fit the profile of a typical dog owner,

but she shares a common positive attitude with

Beijing's residents toward man's best friend, shows a

survey conducted by Renmin University of China.

 

The three-month survey covered 1,050 people - 357 dog

owners and 693 who don't have a dog. About 40 percent

of the interviewees were from nuclear families, 23

percent from extended ones and about 6 percent were

single.

 

Seven out of every 10 dog owners are men. Most dog

owners are high school graduates, aged between 40 and

50 years, and earn 1,000 and 3,000 yuan ($130 and

$390) a month.

 

Moreover, the majority of the dog owners are retired

and live in houses ranging from 50 to 80 square

meters.

 

Fourteen-year-old Keke is the sixth member of Yang

Chuanhua's family. She is the apple of every family

member's eye. She barks to draw attention when the

telephone rings or when the washing machine starts

leaking.

 

" My mother-in-law is more than 80 years old. Keke

helps her with many things, " says Yang, 61, a senior

editor with a Beijing publishing house.

 

Yang's family is among those who have a dog because it

induces a sense of affection, companionship and

spiritual relaxation, says the survey. About 50

percent of dog owners consider their pets an

indispensable member of the family, 42 percent just as

a pet and about 4.8 percent as a doorkeeper.

 

" There is a fine line between pet owners and

non-owners, " says Wang. Most of the dog owners think

their pets help them in more ways than one. About 30

percent of the interviewees think having a dog helps

build a sense of responsibility and 35 percent believe

it cultivates a sense of love and care.

 

Since Wang is an only child, she was spoiled and

absorbed with herself, she says. But having a dog

transformed her into a new person - one who is more

caring and sympathetic to others. " Dogs and cats can

purify one's heart, " she says. " My dog has made me a

person with responsibility and sympathy. "

 

But some dog owners' love for their pets is offset by

the trouble of raising one.

 

Tang Yagang has raised dogs since his childhood. Since

he grew up in the countryside, dogs have always been

his family guard and playmates. Now as a postgraduate

student in Beijing, he says raising two dogs is both a

bitter and sweet experience.

 

" For me, having a dog means a huge responsibility. It

brings more trouble than happiness. But at the end of

the day, you gain patience, which helps you at work

and among friends. "

 

Taking daily care of dogs is not as troublesome as

disputes with neighbors or passers-by that arise

because of some irresponsible owners who do not train

or discipline their dogs.

 

Seventy percent of the interviewees hadn't had

dog-related disputes with neighbors or other people.

But the rest had been through that experience with

owners sometimes because their pets either attacked or

frightened people, or irritated them with their

constant barking at odd hours.

 

About 25 percent of the people who don't own dogs

think raising them has no positive effect. And their

attitude toward dog ownership hurts not only dogs, but

also their owners.

 

Tang says some of his neighbors looked at his dog as

if they were seeing a beast, as if the very next

moment it would bite them. " These people run as if

their life is at stake. That hurt me sometimes. "

 

Tang's neighbors certainly didn't follow the saying

" Love me, love my dog " . Instead it used to be just the

opposite. One of his neighbors hated dogs so much that

he used to beat them at every single opportunity.

 

To avoid such hassles, Tang moved to a big house with

a courtyard near the Fifth Ring Road. " Now I can walk

my dogs wherever and whenever I want, " he says.

 

The survey shows dog owners and non-owners in Beijing

agree on the responsibilities of a person who has a

dog. Relations between the two can improve if owners

clean their pets' dejecta.

 

" My mom and I both always walk our dog with its leash

on and carry a plastic bag to pick up its waste, " says

Wang. They also know it's not proper to take the

elevator with their dog when another person is in it.

 

Teaching dogs good habits is vital, too, Tang says.

The government should educate dog owners and

non-owners alike on public responsibility.

 

What about the money spent on raising dogs? It

depends, according to Tang. Expenses could be manyfold

but often polarized.

 

About 30 percent of the interviewees spent 50 to 100

yuan a month on their dogs. The expenses include food,

health checks and hairdressing. But the expenses can

go up to 800 yuan a month.

 

Dog owners say medical bills are the costliest. Wang

and Yang both have taken their dogs to pet hospitals

thrice for surgery. The total expense on each pet was

as high as 3,000 yuan.

 

That may be a big financial setback but they consider

it a necessary expenditure. " Compared to the joy and

happiness a dog gives us, the amount is small. "

 

Photos:

-A girl plays with Wang An'an's dog Sunday

-A man passes by a fruit vendor's stall with his dog

in Beijing. The majority of dog owners in Beijing are

retired and live in houses ranging from 50 to 80

square meters, according to the survey.

-Dog ownership survey graphic

 

(China Daily 09/21/2007 page12)

 

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-09/21/content_6123763.htm