Rising trend to own pets means more stray dogs
Print Edition
Every dog has its day, and the phrase is especially true for An鈥檃n. Once a stray wandering the streets of Nanchang, the dog now has a new home and a name.
Nanchang, capital of east China鈥檚 Jiangxi Province, launched its first official adoption service for stray dogs last week, with the aim to encourage citizens to adopt rescued strays as domestic companions.
鈥淚 was attracted by the tender look of the mixed breed at first sight,鈥 said Yuan Xijun, 26, who adopted 7-month-old An鈥檃n.
Yuan already has a poodle, and she intended to buy another pet. She changed her mind from 鈥渂uying鈥 to 鈥渁dopting鈥 after she visited the clinic which helps the local government to manage the service. More than 40 stray dogs have been adopted by Nanchang residents since the service was launched.
Owning pets is a growing trend in China. The pet dog population has reached 27.4 million, ranking third in the world after the United States and Brazil.
However, along with this trend comes an increasing number of stray dogs, which have been abandoned, stolen or born feral. Previously, the responsibility to rehome them fell primarily on animal welfare organizations and volunteers.
As the stray dog population grows, so do the problems associated with it 鈥 dog bites, rabies, noise pollution, and overcrowded dog shelters. There is an urgent need for local governments to do more.
鈥淚f An鈥檃n had not been adopted, he might have been huddled up in a cage at a shelter or braving the cold while searching for food in a trash bin,鈥 said Zhang Hongwei, who is in charge of the adoption service.
The dogs available for adoption come from both government and private shelters. They must be 鈥渉ealthy and friendly,鈥 be vaccinated and have microchips implanted, said Zhang.
鈥淚 rescue strays because I don鈥檛 want them to be cruelly killed or traded by dog traffickers on the black market. We need responsible families to look after them,鈥 said Li Lan, owner of a private shelter in Nanchang.
An鈥檃n came from the city government animal shelter, which was set up last April and is home to more than 200 stray dogs.
Potential owners need to pay 300 yuan (US$47), which covers the cost of registration, microchip implant and vaccinations. Staff from the adoption service visit to check up on the adopted dogs on a regular basis.
With increased public awareness of animal welfare, more Chinese government departments and non-governmental organizations have focused on stray animals.
A volunteer team from Chengdu opened a website, which allows the public to donate money for the food, medical care and vaccination of stray animals.
This week, 38 Chinese cities, including Shanghai, hosted a simultaneous 鈥淎doption Day鈥 to encourage people to adopt strays as pets.
鈥淚 strongly support adopting animals instead of purchasing,鈥 said Chen Minjie, manager of the cat and dog welfare program at Animals Asia Foundation.
Pet adoption is common in foreign countries. According to Chen, 35 percent of pet dogs in the US were adopted in 2014.
But the most effective way to solve the problem of stray animals, as Chen puts it, lies in controlling the source 鈥 irresponsible or careless owners who abandon or lose their pets.
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