City in China Bans Dogs - Repealed

Chinese City Bans Dogs, Telling Owners To Turn Them In
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011....in?sc=fb &cc=fp

Officials in Jiangmen, China, are banning residents from keeping dogs, in a move that will take effect at the end of August, according to Chinese media. In one week, owners can begin taking their dogs to drop-off centers, where they will be either adopted by residents of rural areas or euthanized.

The ban targets dogs in densely populated sections of Jiangmen, a city with a population of 3.8 million. Any owners who wish to keep their dogs must apply for a license, reports China Daily.

But it seems that only people who plan to use their dogs to provide security for valuable warehouses or businesses will be granted licenses.

Britain's Daily Mail, citing the Chinese-language newspaper The Jiangmen Daily, reports that "42 residents had died from rabies in the past three years."

The Shanghaiist blog predicts that with the city government's official Notice on Strengthening the Management of Dogs, "we're expecting scores of tearful farewells in the coming weeks."

The story echoes a similar anti-dog incident from 2009, in which fears of rabies led Chinese officials to sanction the killing of dogs in the streets of Hanzhong — apparently going so far as to offer payment for each death.


In Jiangmen, an official explained the new dog ban to China Daily:

"Our aim is not to kill all the dogs in the city's urban areas, but we hope to create a better environment for the city by banning the keeping of dogs," said a police officer, who did not want to be named, on Tuesday.

"And we hope dog owners and residents can understand and cooperate with law enforcement personnel," he added.

That seems like a tough argument to make to dog owners — and at least one resident of the city wasn't swayed:

"That is not fair to the city's dog owners and does not respect life," said Wang Chengzhi, a Jiangmen resident.

"The appropriate departments should introduce detailed regulations to guide residents in keeping dogs and grant them certificates, instead of simply banning dogs," he added.

bit lost for words really!

:O glad I'm not there. thats just awful

Is that a joke?!?!?

how can they jus tell ppl to get their dog PTS?

far out... if I lived there... I would be moving, pronto!!!

What a horrible thing if it is true.

Pet Owners Win: Chinese City Relents On Dog Ban
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/08/04/139005391/pet-owners-win-chinese-city-relents-on-dog-ban?sc=fb&cc=fp

Dog lovers in China and elsewhere can sleep easier tonight, after officials in Jiangmen withdrew a proposed ban on dogs in the city. The near-total ban, which would have resulted in thousands of dogs being either killed or transported to rural areas, was prompted by fears of rabies in the city of 3.8 million.

News of the ban hit media outlets in the U.S. and England Wednesday. But it seems to have been the outrage of dog fans in Jiangmen and elsewhere in China that prompted the government to reconsider the ban.

"I am tremendously happy and proud to see that public uproar from within China stopped this unethical killing. said Grace Ge Gabriel, Asia regional director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare. "In the past we were only able to stop some of the dog culls with international pressure."

The city had set a deadline of Aug. 26 for residents to drop off their dogs — a process that was to begin on Aug. 10. Now they'll be able to keep their dogs, but the city is still insisting on some changes.

According to China Daily, "Citizens will be able to keep their pets but are forbidden from taking them to some public areas including parks, city squares, schools, kindergartens, shopping malls and hotels etc."

Several "dog culls" similar to the one that had been planned for Jiangmen have taken place in recent years. And while it's difficult to say with certainty what motivates the mass killing of dogs, many reports claim that China lacks both a national animal welfare law and a plan to fight rabies.

that better

Good thing they can keep their dogs If I lived there I would move pronto, I would do anything to stop them from taking my dogs. If they wanted the dogs they would have to kill me first!