Shanghai Considering One-Dog-Per-Family Policy

(Nov. 12) -- Thirty years after China imposed a one-child policy to limit population growth, authorities are turning their attention to overcrowding by man's best friend.


Authorities in Shanghai are considering a one-dog policy.

The law would allow one dog per family and require owners to register their pets at a cost of about $45 a year, Shanghai Daily reported. Residents would also be required to neuter or spay their dogs, and give puppies up for adoption by the time they're 3 months old. If passed, the measure would go into effect next year.

Supporters say it's necessary because of limited dog-walking space in the congested, densely populated city. Nearly 20 million people live in Shanghai, alongside nearly 1 million dogs. An average of at least 100,000 dog attacks are reported each year, and 2009 had nearly 140,000 cases of dog-inflicted wounds, spurring local authorities to propose the new law, China Daily reported.

Other Chinese cities, like Guangzhou and Chengdu, already have similar policies, according to China's Xinhua news agency.

But some pet lovers fear the new policy could lead to more strays and end up harming the animals.

"If you can't find any adopters and the shelters are full, where would the puppies go?" a dog owner named Huang asked China Daily.

"I think the government should improve public knowledge about how to raise a dog and how to prevent them from attacking people and littering, instead of forcing us to raise one dog only," another Shanghai resident, Wang, told the paper.

Dog ownership has skyrocketed among China's growing middle class, raising calls for more regulation by the government.

In September, Chinese authorities said they planned to renew the country's one-child policy, which allows only one son or daughter for most couples. About 400 million births have been prevented by the policy over the past 30 years, CNN reported.