In recent days, girls aged 2 years in Zongzhou City, Sichuan Province (City of Cheng City) have been torn by untamed Lovina dogs, which has continued to raise social concerns.
The raising of pets, especially dogs, has become an important way for urban residents of China to be alone and caring for their feelings. At the same time, the increase in the number of pets raised has led to uncivilized dog hysteria and lack of local management, which require urgent attention.
Our norms on canine management were initially centred on “limitation”. To prevent the spread of rabies, in 1980 the former Ministry of Health, among others, issued a joint canine regulation aimed at stopping and restricting dog breeding. This period of legislation highlighted the prohibition, restriction and exclusion of urban dogs. Then, into the twenty-first century, “restrictions” became “management”. For example, the new version of the Animal Disease Prevention Act, which was formally introduced in 2021, introduced new requirements for dogs to be vaccinated only against dogs, and for dogs to be allowed to leave their homes with dog tags and ropes.
In this context, local regulations governing dog-only practices have been introduced. Article 21 of the Ordinance on the Management of Urban Dogs, promulgated in 2010, prohibits individuals from raising dogs, dogs and dogs. The regulation provides for 22 prohibited types of strong and large dogs, including Tibetan hyenas and Chinese field dogs. However, the Zongzhou bite of a human, Rowena dog is not prohibited.
In fact, Rowena dogs are strong, fast and strong and have been classified as forbidden in several cities. Interfacing news shows that Rovina dogs are on the list of banned dogs through local regulations in more than 20 municipalities directly under the jurisdiction of Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xian and Zhengzhou. The priority management areas of cities such as Shigekoshi are included in the list of para-dogs, which are not included in the list.
With the exception of the list of prohibited animals, the regulations governing dogs in the municipalities show that the height and length of dogs, as well as the number of animals raised and the number of types of dogs banned, vary. For example, the Beijing Regulations for the Management of Dogs in the City of Beijing stipulate that dogs with shoulders above 35 cm are not allowed to raise only one dog per household, while the Regulations for the Management of Dogs in the City of Ishikoshi stipulate that the standard for the prohibition of large dogs is that the shoulder height (higher) exceeds 40 cm and the size of dogs above 60 cm, and the regulations even explain shoulder heights to facilitate future management.
In addition, the Chongqing City Dog Regulation, which came into force on 1 June 2023, provides that, for a period of one year from the date of registration, no violation of the law has been recorded, an application may be made for the raising of another dog, but the total number of such animals may not exceed two. In terms of the number of prohibited varieties, the interface reports that 56 varieties are banned in Jenan, 48 in Shenyang and 38 in Suzhou. There may be differences in the number of dogs that can be raised in one place or in another, for example, in Xian City and Changsha City, where can be raised in cities such as Shanghai.
Why is the list of forbidden dogs not uniform across the country? What are the conditions for assessment in different regions? The Faculty of Law of the Faculty of Law and Law of the Ministry of Economic and Social Affairs of South-Central China has taught Chai Yafang that regulations are not strictly based on the type and nature of dogs, but rather on their height and length, such as the use of Chinese field dogs as forbidden dogs in certain cities. Cheong Yafang believes that the conditions for dogs set up everywhere are irregular, and that the criteria for the determination of dogs should refer to international norms. For example, dogs are divided into large dogs and strong dogs, they are strictly regulated, they are regulated only for reproduction and trade, and they are prohibited from reproduction in private and underground.
“The requirement to allow only small-scale dogs in most parts of the country has lagged far behind social development.” According to Chan Yafang, most dogs cannot be certified, leading to serious uncivilized dogs and arbitrary abandonment. In particular, Chinese field dogs, as State dogs, are not recognized as strong dogs, are gentle and loyal and should be included in the quasi-nurse catalogue.
Referring to the difficulty of governing dog-deepling, the Secretary-General of the Sichuan Provincial Petty Association, Zhang Yong Jun, reported to the interface that the pet industry, as an emerging industry, was experiencing daily prevention and management problems as the surge in the number of pets led to a shortage of professional staff and associated safeguards.
The Director of the Civil and Commercial Law School of the People ' s University of China, Liu Junhai, analysed the information from the interface, and the penalties involved in local regulations were low, thus allowing uncivilized dog-keeping. According to Liu Junhai, “there is currently no well-developed legislation regulating animals, and canine management relies mainly on local dog management regulations, but these are relatively low-level and not systematic”.
According to Liu, dog regulations in many cities currently target small urban areas, such as those with complete property, and lack effective management tools and a basis for suburban, rural, and urban “three-nil” subdivisions. “As can also be seen from the case of the biting of young children in Chengduzhou, the previous local regulations are relatively behind schedule and are no longer adapted to the rapid changes and developments in the situation of urban dogs.”
The interface news notes that since the incident, ad hoc circulars have been issued in Sichuan, Henan, Shanghai, Anhui and others calling for civilized dogs or corrective action to further regulate dog-keeping behaviour.
For example, on 17 October 2023, the Shanghai Property Micro-Intelligence Public Company issued a circular requiring property enterprises to increase public area patrols, discourage illegal and irregular rearing and, if applicable, report on a network-based platform; the city administration of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, has carried out a rigorous check on untied dogs since 17 October and has indicated that joint law enforcement is being carried out not less than twice a week.
In addition, the Sian sub-districts have issued a “civilized dog” initiative to remind owners to walk the dog leash and regularly inoculate the dog; the Sichuan “civilized sheep” micro-letter released the Civilized Dog Initiative on 17 October, stating that when a dog leaves the house with a love dog, the dog chain should be tied to an adult, the dog should carry a dog registration certificate and the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women and children should be avoided.
Cheong Yafang indicated that only dog injuries occurred every year and each time a major discussion and clean-up campaign was initiated, but no lessons were learned. “Local dog legislation, which is based on the principle of `restriction' or `management', has not yet established the concept of `protection', which in turn has led to the establishment of rules governing regulation that do not deter the uncivilization of dogs.”
In response, Cheong Yafang recommended that “the law on the protection and management of partner animals at the national legislative level, protection and management, raising the threshold for dogs, strict enforcement of the law and community autonomy are needed to combat this practice”.
According to Chan Yafang, the community is daily engaged in the promotion of the rule of law in civilized animal breeding and in civilized treatment of animals, and in the exercise of ethics, so that each and every one of its inhabitants can make a difference in his or her eyes and ears and in his or her own practice, thus providing a good mass base for the advancement of the rule of law in animals such as dogs. In short, “neighbors monitor each other and impose moral constraints. If one sees a neighbour who doesn't hold onto a dog, and does not warn of a neighbour's relationship, it will only make things worse.” Cheong Yafang said.
Interfacing news notes that two species, the partner animal special finger dog and the cat. Previously, at the two National Conferences in 2022, several deputies of the People ' s Republic of China jointly submitted a bill to the General Assembly, accompanied by the Law of the People ' s Republic of China on the Protection and Management of Partner Animals (Draft Proposal). The application of partnership animal protection and management laws is, in the view of Chai Fong, largely capable of addressing social governance issues surrounding dogs and cats.
In terms of specific legislative by-laws, Liu Junhai indicated that the pet management legislation should also continue the current model of multi-sectoral management by a department head, while avoiding problems such as over-generality in the work of the authorities. “To establish mechanisms for multisectoral collaboration and coordination in policy formulation, taking into account the actual situation.” Liu Junhai said.
In addition, “a uniform national ban list shall also be established”. Zhang Yong Jun said that this was the voice of the pet industry and many dog-keepers. “From the point of origin, special legislation at the national level should be regulated uniformly.”
Zhang Yong Jun also suggested that animal trading processes should be regulated, drawing on foreign legislative experience. In addition, only dogs can be managed using technological means. For example, in developed countries, electronic identification techniques are used as mandatory for canine management. Microchips are implanted for age-appropriate pups so that the location can be traced when the pet is lost. “There is practice in some cities, such as Shenzhen City, in our country, which can be scaled up nationwide.” Zhang Yong Jun said.