Shanghai, August 06: Shanghai’s pampered pooches may soon be forced to walk under a new set of proposed laws, which include banning dogs from riding on the bus or subway, state media reported Thursday.
As Shanghai’s middle class grows, the number of pet dogs is also swelling with police issuing 164,000 new dog licences last year and the number of unregistered dogs believed to be greater, the Shanghai Daily reported.
Some Shanghai dogs’ paws barely touch the ground. With wardrobes to rival their owners’, they can often be seen trotting along in booties or sitting on their own chairs in the city’s lanes while a master on a stool dotes on them.
Shanghai lawmakers concerned about a canine takeover have proposed banning dogs from public transportation, shopping malls and supermarkets and would like to clamp down on where dogs can be walked, the newspaper reported.
“If dog management is not strengthened, these pets may still bring pleasure to their owners but could pose trouble or even danger to the larger population,” Deng Zixin, a Shanghai legislator, was quoted as saying.
The congress is working with the Public Security Bureau to devise rules that could also specify owners’ responsibility for the mess their dogs leave behind, the report said.
The new regulations could also ban aggressive breeds in the downtown area, it said.
–Agencies