Hordes of hounds leashed by new law
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And now the restrictions have expanded to dog ownership, which I believe is justified. Shanghai is not in the vanguard of such policies, since similar regulations already exist in other major cities in China like Haikou and Guangzhou. But its membership in this "one-dog policy" club shows the attitudes of most people toward the hike in the dog population and the disorder it has caused.
Many families may have demanded to have the same freedom their Western counterparts do in owning dogs, but they have largely failed to keep them in the civilized manner that dogs are handled in developed countries.
Due to the lack of experience or regard for others among dog owners, rampant barking, unscooped poop, and the growing risk of dog attacks have severely affected the city's environment and sanitation. Consequently, at least one striking figure shows that rabies outbreaks are so common in China that more than 2,000 people are dying every year after being bitten by rabid dogs.
Because of these annoyances and mounting public anger against them, the tightened regulation this time also demands all dog owners in the city should shoulder more responsibilities, including the necessary vaccinations for their pets, formal registration of the dog, and so forth.
The new regulations are not actually aimed against those who keep dogs as pets, but at encouraging dog-owners to embrace a more civilized way of keeping their four-legged friends. And in order to effectively control the population of unregistered stray dogs in the city, the new rules are expected to reduce the annual registration fees of a pet dog from 2,000 yuan ($304) to 500 ($76) yuan, which is further halved if the dog is spayed or neutered.
Additionally, taking into consideration the emotional connections between pet dogs and their masters, the new rule also stipulates that anyone currently owning two or more licensed dogs will be allowed to keep them.
Most ordinary families can have only one child, one apartment and one car, and now one dog.
This is China's status quo. And they have to learn to live with it.
The author is a media commentator. forum@globaltimes.com.cn
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