Dog owners in Guangzhou, China are tying to understand and adjust to the new regulation on dog ownership due to take effect from July, when each family in Guangzhou will only be allowed to own one dog - even if they now own more than one.
"It's a cruel regulation. These dogs are like family. How can you keep one and get rid of the others?" said a dog owner Chen, who declined to give her full name for fear that the police would track her down and seize the dogs.
Until a few years ago, owning dogs as pets was banned in China as being too bourgeois. That thinking has changed and having dogs as pets has since become popular with the country's rapidly expanding middle class.
However, many dogs did not have responsible owners. For example, many owners do not register, neuter or vaccinate their animals, putting China second only to India for the number of rabies cases.
In addition, many first-time pet owners don't bother to spay or neuter their animals and do not fully understand the burdens of keeping an animal. Due to their neglect, the dogs often end up on the street when their owners get tired of keeping up with the demands of maintaining the proper care of a grown up dog.
The new regulation was announced in March. There were quite a number of negative reactions. However, other provinces also instituted similar measures.
In May officials in Hanzhong, Shaanxi province, ordered all dogs in rabies-infected villages to be destroyed in a crackdown on rabies. In June 11, more than 34,000 dogs were killed, sparking uproar.
The move in Guangzhou, formerly Canton is thought to be aimed at controlling the population of stray dogs and clean up the city which is preparing to host the Asian Games next year. As part of the preparation, crews have been scrubbing down and sprucing up the city of 12 million people. Reducing the dog population will likely mean cleaner sidewalks.
Guangzhou, is one of the richest cities in China and has a rapidly growing middle class that can afford to own dogs.
