Chinese County Plans To Ban Dog Walking, Threatens To Kill Pets For Violations

Taking unruly dogs for a walk in public places can lead to ugly altercations, which sometimes require police interventions, but what a Chinese county did to stop dog-related disputes was a bit too much – a blanket ban on dog walking and a threat to kill the animals if the rules were flouted.

Authorities in Weixin County in China's southwestern province of Yunnan have decided to issue a three-strike directive after receiving a string of reports about children getting bitten by dogs. As part of it, the dog owners would be first given a warning. If the pets are seen in public for a second time, the owners would be fined. If the offense is repeated a third time, authorities would seize the dog and kill it regardless of its behavior, The New York Times reported.

"Lately there have been a few cases in the county with dogs injuring people, and dog owners not taking care of their dog's waste. Some of them have even fought with cleaners," an enforcement official, identified only as Wu, told The Guardian.

The policy was set to take effect Friday, but the authorities were forced to reassess the ban after facing strong backlash from the community, an official with the local supervision administration told The Guardian.

The penalty was to correct "uncivilized dog ownership in urban areas," Weixin County departments said in a joint notice issued Nov. 13, according to The New York Times. "Residents must keep dogs tied up or in a pen. Dogs should not disrupt the normal order of society or interfere with the daily life of others."

The notice made the rounds on Chinese social media, triggering debates. It was viewed more than 200 million times, with many internet users calling the regulations cruel and extreme.

"If all forms of dog walking are prohibited in the urban area, isn't that directly equivalent to declaring a ban on dog keeping?" Li, a local resident, told media outlets, The Guardian reported.