Life of Guangzhou - Guangzhou Rules Only One Dog Per Household

Beginning July 1, officials in Guangzhou will enforce a new regulation that allows only one dog per household. The law will impact all families, so households that currently have two or more canines will be forced to choose which dog stays and which must go.

The dog control law in this southern Chinese city has generated serious resentment among dog-owning citizens, mostly the new middle class, and officials realize there may be some backlash.

Although officials have refused to talk to the Western news media about the controversial law, it appears to be part of an effort to control the growing stray dog population. Located about an hour north of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a wealthy city and many residents can afford to own dogs, a popular practice due to the country’s “one child per family” policy

Unfortunately for the dogs, many pet owners don't spay or neuter their animals, and many new owners are irresponsible. When an owner grows tired to raising a puppy, they are likely to turn the dog loose in the streets. Since Guangzhou is preparing to host the Asian Games next year, city officials have been cleaning up the city, and eliminating stray dogs will result in cleaner sidewalks.

Other Chinese cities, including Beijing, have long enforced the one-dog rule. There, officials occasionally launch mass dog roundups when the stray population gets large or there is an outbreak of rabies. In 2006, Beijing authorities caught 29,000 stray dogs in a single month, a move that generated public protest.

Rabies is a problem in Asia. This month, worries about rabies prompted officials in Hanzhong in the northern province of Shaanxi to order all the dogs in rabies-infected areas killed. More than 34,000 – including family pets - were destroyed, according to the official Chinese news agency. Mass dog killing campaigns and rabies outbreaks are common in China, where more than 2,000 people die each year from rabies.

[More Guangzhou News]