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Shanghai Dogs On a Tight Leash
2009. 18 August
They’ll also determine where canines can go, likely banning the pets in public places such as grocery stores, public transport
by Kellie Schmitt
(thefastertimes.com)
The rules are getting stricter and stricter for Shanghai’s dogs as the 2010 Expo approaches. New regulations will limit where dogs can be walked, their sizes, and penalties if messes aren’t cleaned up in public areas.
The doggy patrol has already taken to the streets, snatching up any unlicensed dogs, and checking homes to make sure the one-dog rule is being obeyed.
In Shanghai, the number of pet dogs is growing alongside the city’s wealthy population, with 164,000 new licenses at up to $300 a pop issued last year. And, yes, the status symbol of carrying your dog in your bag has even crossed the Pacific from L.A. I’ve spotted at least a couple young Shanghai girls, and even one older granny-type carrying a yippy dog in their name-brand bag.
A Chinese official stated more than 10,000 residents annually are bit by dogs, explaining, in part, the need for the updated rules. And Shanghai’s latest regulations, originally issued in 1993, don’t address modern day issues. Rabies is also a growing concern in China.
The rules haven’t been completely clarified just yet, but they’ll also likely deal with who’s responsible for any bite wounds inflicted on strangers.
I’m wondering if that part is retroactive. My neighbor’s dog bit me last summer, although he reassured me emphatically - pointing to his arm and doing charade-like motions for an injection - that the dog had been protected against rabies (thankfully, a year later, I still see him alive and well, on the same patch of sidewalk).
To be fair, I did accidentally step on him as he lounged on the pavement. I wonder if they’ll create a doggy court for such incidents?
Source: thefastertimes.com