In several major cities in China, stricter regulations targeting dog owners have come into effect, aiming to protect the population from dog attacks. As a consequence, Chinese authorities are taking harsh measures against stray dogs roaming the streets. According to the new regulation, from mid-November 2018, the keeping of a total of 40 dog breeds has become illegal in the cities of Hangzhou and Chengdu.
Harsh sanctions introduced against stray dogs
In Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province (the metropolitan area around the city is the fourth largest in China with 21 million inhabitants over 35,000 km2, and the city itself has 9 million inhabitants), dog ownership regulations have been tightened. Walking dogs in downtown areas is prohibited between 07:00 AM and 07:00 PM. It is forbidden to bring dogs into public places such as schools, parks, markets, and restaurants. Dogs must be walked on a leash, and owners are required to collect their dog’s waste. Municipal officials, in cooperation with the police, will enforce dog ownership rules much more strictly.
Dog owners who do not comply with the new rules may face a fine of 1000 yuan (about 40,000 HUF) and have their dog ownership license revoked. If a dog is not registered, the owner may face a fine of 10,000 yuan (about 400,000 HUF) and the pet may be confiscated. Anyone walking their dog off-leash during prohibited hours can be fined 100 dollars (about 28,000 HUF).
Sanctions against stray animals are not new throughout China, but the new regulation enforces stricter measures against both stray and unregistered dogs.
The incident that triggered the sanctions against dogs occurred on November 2nd, when a man assaulted a woman who was protecting her young children from his dog. The dog was walking off-leash on the street and tried to attack the children. The mother, fearing for her children, kicked the dog to protect them from the attack. Seeing this, the dog’s owner ran up to the mother and began assaulting her in front of her children. The mother sustained injuries requiring over 8 days of recovery. The attacker was arrested by the police.
According to the new law, the keeping of 33 dog breeds has become illegal in Hangzhou
As part of the new law concerning pets, Hangzhou Municipality issued a list of 33 dog breeds whose keeping is currently considered illegal in the city. The dog breeds are as follows:
- Tibetan Mastiff,
- American Pitbull Terrier
- Argentine Dogo
- Fila Brasileiro
- Tosa Inu
- Central Asian Shepherd Dog
- Chinese Chongqing Dog
- Borzoi
- Bull Terrier
- English Mastiff
- Cane Corso
- Great Dane
- Caucasian Shepherd Dog
- Neapolitan Mastiff
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Afghan Hound
- Pointer
- Weimaraner
- Bloodhound (English Foxhound)
- Basenji
- English Bulldog
- Akita
- Newfoundland
- Bedlington Terrier
- Kerry Blue Terrier
- Irish Setter
- English Greyhound
- German Shepherd
- Rottweiler
- Dobermann
- Belgian Shepherd
- German Boxer
- Chinese Rural Dog
and mixtures of the aforementioned breeds.
In Chengdu, 22 dog breeds have been blacklisted
1800 km away, in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province (one of the most important economic, transportation, and communication hubs in Western China), 22 dog breeds considered "dangerous" were blacklisted starting November 16, 2018. According to official reports, "the isolation and harmless disposal of forbidden dogs in designated areas is permitted in order to create a civilized and hygienic environment."
According to the new rules, families may only keep one dog in designated areas. If a dog gives birth to puppies, the owner has four months to find new homes for them. Additionally, every citizen must register their pet dogs – although this option is currently not available for foreigners.
The municipalities of Hangzhou and Chengdu targeted popular breeds such as the German Shepherd, Bull Terrier, and guard-protection breeds. According to the city leaders, the aim of the move is to protect residents from dog attacks and dog bites.
The new restrictions have sparked heated debates online. Many expressed the opinion that it is not the dog breeds that should be restricted, but the owners should be trained. Someone made an interesting analogy: “Cars often run over people, in terms of the law I suggest banning cars from the roads.”
Dog lovers unanimously protest against brutal incidents and the stigmatization of dog breeds
The campaign started a few days ago and is planned to continue at full force until the end of the year. Almost immediately after the campaign began, the internet was flooded and photos and videos showing brutal violence keep appearing on social media. Videos visible in Chinese social media show police beating and strangling stray animals. There were also reports of police confiscating pets from their owners when they were walking them on the street. The brutal incidents and the very stigmatization of dog breeds have caused outrage among dog lovers worldwide, and many countries protest against the violence against dogs manifested in China. Thousands of people question the hosting rights of the 2019 World Dog Show as well as the organization of the 2022 Winter Olympics in China: “A country that cruelly slaughters innocent lives cannot host the Olympics.”
Meanwhile, reports also indicate that city officials and police officers are cooperating to visit dog owners in their homes to check if their dogs are vaccinated and registered.
There are fears that the introduction of the new, strict rules will lead to more people abandoning their dogs in the future and that violence in the city may increase (editor's note: there has already been enormous violence against dogs, the new law clearly will further escalate this in the future).
Sources:
www.shanghai.ist
www.chengdu-expat.com
Editor's note:
You will not find photos showing violence or such videos in the article because the editors of Kutya Portál clearly and unequivocally distance themselves from violent acts committed against dogs; we do not display such content on our site! Moreover, in none of our articles will you find photos or moving images showing violence against dogs (in other words, you will not find news, photos, or videos in any Kutya Portál article about tortured, horribly suffering, or shot dogs, etc.). By clicking on the sources above, you can see images and videos with such content in the official English-language posts if you want to be horrified or cry!
There are topics that can no longer be passed by in silence or without emotions, and the topic in the above article is exactly such a case. The news about animal and dog cruelty continuously pouring out of China for years, photos and videos showing dogs killed in terrible conditions doomed to end their lives on the Chinese people's menus, and articles about these shake the nerves of every sane, animal-loving person. As someone raised in the European culture of responsible animal care and a dog lover, this is terrible to see. Different culture and different perspective, but the treatment of our companion animals in this way is harsh and dreadful to us! According to Chinese culture, basically all animals that live and move end up on the menu! Only a normally thinking European can condemn this! In the future, this will certainly not change, on the contrary, it could only get worse!
2019 World Dog Show China! Even after the official announcement, there was great outrage among breeders and exhibitors! The ongoing horror news coming from China, the introduction of the new law, and the confiscation of dogs on the streets (in other words, you walk on the street with your dog, which may be a banned breed in the city, and the law enforcement officers can officially come to you and take away your dog, whom you adore and for whom you would walk through fire) is a huge deterrent for every sane breeder and exhibitor. Those who still dare to take the bold step and go to Shanghai in May 2019 for the World Dog Show should be very careful of themselves and their dogs!
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