Beijing is to build shelters and hospitals for the hundreds of
thousands of stray animals wandering the capital's streets,
according to the city's bureau of agriculture.
According to a spokesman with the bureau, who declined to reveal
his name, it has finished drafting a regulation on the construction
of an urban shelter system, which is awaiting approval from the
municipal government.
All districts and counties will have access to animal shelters
and charity hospitals, which will be funded by the government.
The government will also subsidize animal clinics that
vaccinate, sterilize and treat homeless cats, providing half the
fees.
The bureau said it has entrusted several animal welfare
institutes to help 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 booming due to a lack of
regulations, which would lay out requirements for people who want a
cat as a pet, reported Beijing Youth Daily.
Meanwhile, 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 places for
homeless cats and are suffering from damage caused by cat faeces,
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 the city's 2,400 communities.
According to Chai Yue, a 24-year-old worker with the
association, the cats are deserted for reasons such as moving home,
the owner's boredom or because the animal gets sick.
Chai said the best way to protect animals is to establish an
animal protection law, 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
behaviour, they will 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 Chai said there was a shortage of funds and it was difficult
to find homes for the cats.
According to animal medical experts, stray animals not only
pollute the environment, but also spread infectious diseases.
(China Daily September 27, 2006)