Guide dogs given all-clear for public venues

Guide dogs for the blind will be allowed into public places such as subway stations and buses starting July, under a new law amendment passed yesterday.

Lawmakers said the change, in the amendment to the Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons, aims to better protect the rights and interests of the blind in the run-up to the Beijing 2008 Paralympics in September, during which many athletes will bring their canine helpers to the capital.

Currently, ownership of large dogs in Beijing is restricted and large dogs are barred from public places. Since guide dogs are said to be a new phenomenon in the country, no exceptions were made.