Restrictions, criticism faced by dog owners

Changing the rules

Since 1994, the regulations governing dog ownership in Beijing have been revised twice. Before that year, keeping the animals was strictly prohibited in the city.

Under a regulation introduced in November 1994, owners must register their dogs and have them immunized regularly against disease. The regulation also stated that they must pay an annual 5,000 yuan ($708) administrative fee.

Drafted by the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, the regulation is thought to have been the first of its kind in China relating to dog ownership.

In 2003, the administrative fee was reduced to 1,000 yuan a year under a revised version of the regulation that also stated that owners in the capital's downtown districts could only keep dogs with a maximum height of 35 centimeters. At peak times, owners should use elevators to avoid their dogs coming into contact with crowds. Dog excrement should also be cleared up immediately.

Owners who breach the regulation face fines of 50 to 500 yuan.

In 2013, there were strong calls in Beijing for the regulation to be loosened.

Shen Ruihong, secretary-general of the China Small Animal Protection Association, said: "Before 2003, the administrative fee of 5,000 yuan was too high. There are also many aspects of the current dog management rules that need to be improved."

The limit on the size of dog that can be kept should also be amended, he said.

"You usually can't tell the size mongrels will grow to in adulthood, and that's the reason the provision was brought in," he said.

"But with the passage of time, the ban no longer meets society's needs," Shen said, adding that some goodnatured larger dogs are suitable for owners living in communities.