Dog rule suspended amid biting questions

A recent rule curbing dog-walking in urban areas was released in Zhaotong's Weixin county in Yunnan province, triggering heated discussion online about raising dogs.

The dialog was so intense that local authorities suspended implementation of the rules, which were said to take effect on Nov 20, for further research, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The original ban said a pet owner might be warned after being caught walking a dog the first time but would be fined from 50 yuan ($7.62) to 200 yuan for a second offense. After a third offense, the dog would be seized and killed.

Residents should get leash license from the public security department and raise dogs in captivity and not disturb social order or others' lives, the rule said.

The ban aimed to correct poor dog-raising behaviors in a wide range of urban areas, officials said.

After going viral on the internet, the ban triggered a heated discussion. Many people in Weixin said they supported the government strengthening restrictions on dogs, yet they thought the rule went too far.

"The announcement said dogs cannot be walked in urban areas, which means raising dogs is banned altogether," said a resident surnamed Li in Weixin. "It's not fair for all the puppies to pay the price for undisciplined dog owners."

Local authorities said they noticed the criticism on the internet and the rules aimed to better serve people.

"We need to show respect to animal lovers, but others should not be harmed. We have had children attacked by dogs in the past, and some cases involved the public security department. It requires standardized management by all departments to deal with the problem, and every decision should be made legally," an official of the local government said.

Zhou Jiaxin contributed to this story.