Beijing urged to lift dog ban
11/12/2006 16:06  - (SA)  

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Howls over new 1 dog policy Howls over new 1 dog policy

Beijing - A Hong Kong-based animal rights group urged Beijing on Monday to retract controversial new regulations that ban large dogs from the city centre and to offer an amnesty to those already detained.

Jill Robinson, founder of Animals Asia, discussed the new rules with city officials that ban the number of dogs families can own and limit the size of dogs living in the city centre to 35cm.

"Distinguishing dogs over their size is flawed," said Robinson.

"They should be limiting the breed of the dog ... like pit bulls that are inherently aggressive."

Beijing authorities, concerned by the growing number of canines in the city and a rising incidence of rabies, ruled last month that households could only raise one dog per family and vowed to confiscate unregistered and illegal pets.

The new regulations caused howls of protests while invoking fears in many households of a pending old-style Communist Party crackdown.

600 oversized dogs confiscated

"We are asking the authorities for a little compassion and to let the families have their family members back," said Robinson.

"It is tragic to see large dogs removed from their families, big dogs like retrievers and Labradors are absolutely protecting families."

During a week of talks with city officials, Robinson said that only about 600 oversized dogs have been confiscated so far and that the city would not be killing any of the dogs, but will keep them in the city's dog pound.

Beijing is home to up to one million canines, with just about half of them registered when the ban was announced.

Robinson said officials told her that up to 800 000 dogs are now registered about one month after the new rules were implemented.

Animal Asia was willing to donate up to 50 000 muzzles to oversized dogs if Beijing was willing to declare an amnesty and rethink the regulations, she said.

"We are asking the government to declare an amnesty for big dogs," she said.

"A muzzled dog cannot bite anyone and if it cannot bite it cannot pass on rabies."

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