Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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China Enforces New Laws Limiting Dog Ownership
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=159FD75:A6F02AD83191E160DB053725EAFB827A9574F7DCC14957C0 Owners upset with
restrictions limiting size and allowance of only a single pet;
government says it is trying to reduce rabies 2006 is China's Year of
the Dog, but in Beijing, man's best friend is being forced into
hiding. Authorities have started to enforce dog ownership laws,
restricting households to just one dog, which must also be smaller
than 35 centimeters tall. Beijing is estimated to be home to at least
one million dogs, but only a fraction are registered or vaccinated -
this is what authorities say is the cause of the city's rabies
problem.







Dog owners are concerned about new laws restricting them to one small
dogSome Beijing dog owners have taken their pets into hiding. The
crackdown on large and unregistered dogs has many loving owners
keeping their pets indoors, out of sight of prying neighbors and
police.

Angela Zheng is project coordinator for International Fund for Animal
Welfare, a prominent animal rights lobbying group in Beijing. She says
the harsh enforcement of the laws has really impacted the lives of
city dog owners.







Angela Zheng"It caused a very serious mental pressure on them.  Many
dog owners hold a respected role in the community, are the backbone of
society.  If they were to bring their unhappiness out into the open,
it would have a great affect on the community.  The laws are creating
an inharmonious element within society," she says.

Authorities say the crackdown is an attempt to curb the growing number
of rabies deaths. Chinese state media report some 1,700 people died
from rabies between January and August of 2006. That's almost a 30
percent increase over the previous year, making it China's most deadly
infectious disease. But it's the crackdown on large dogs that has most
dog owners upset, and wondering why they have been singled out by the
new law.







Li Shen with her golden retriever

Li Shen has taken her golden retriever Li Tiao Tiao to her art studio
on the outskirts of the city for safety. She says the laws are forcing
her to act like a criminal, and she has no means to lobby the
lawmakers for change.

"There is anger in my heart, I don't know how to express it.  I cannot
destroy things, I cannot protest, but I really feel angry, it is so
unreasonable," she said.



Chinese authorities might have thought their anti-rabies precautions
would gain public support, for curbing a disease that is claiming so
many victims.  But many Chinese feel persecuted by the laws. It may be
the Year of the Dog, but many dogs and their owners are feeling less
than celebrated.


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