(CN) Beijing's dog fetish

[Guest guest]

April 5, 2002

 

China's canine love affair is on the increase, whether it is

legal or illegal

 

From Jaime FlorCruz

CNN Beijing Bureau Chief

 

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The raising of pets was considered a bourgeois crime

only 25 years ago during China's Cultural Revolution, but now it is a legal,

if not costly, popular pastime.

 

Growing prosperity and the need for companionship, in the wake of China's

one child policy, is prompting many to keep dogs as pets.

 

Yet Beijing remains one of the world's most strict and expensive places for

dog owners.

 

With restrictions and expensive permits keeping official numbers down, dogs

are being kept in the dark -- literally.

 

In a bizarre spectacle, Beijing's pooches are patrolled in the dark to avoid

detection -- it's the only time they can walk the capital's streets

care-free for air and exercise.

 

Even if owners do have a permit they can still only walk their pets from 8

p.m. until 8 a.m.

 

And for the privilege they must also pay a one-off fee of more than $600,

and then $300 every year after that.

 

Rich owners pamper their dogs with regular grooming and other creature

comforts, but many others can't even afford the registration fee.

 

" That's beyond my reach, it's almost half of my annual income, " says dog

owner Mrs. Guo.

 

Forced underground

" Dudu " owned by Mrs. Guo is one of over 200,000 unlicensed pet dogs in

Beijing, forced underground, and her owner is paranoid.

" I have to walk my dog in quiet places where police don't usually go. I have

to be careful, " Mrs. Guo tells CNN.

 

China's love affair with pets also extends to cats many of which are

sold at illegal street markets

Police regularly round-up unlicensed animals into dog pounds, one exists

outside of Beijing, where dogs often die of starvation and abuse.

 

And some of the capital's dog owners who have seen it have expressed shock.

 

" I simply don't know how to describe the scene over there. It was so cruel.

The painful memory has been with me ever since, " says Mrs. Guo.

 

Activists like Xu Huai of the Capital Animal Welfare Association are

lobbying city authorities to pass animal protection laws and to loosen

restrictions on dog ownership.

 

" Animals live miserably in China. People here think they can treat animals

however way they want, including harming them, " says Xu Huai.

 

Yet the sale of pets illegally is likely to continue unabated and unchecked.

 

Beijing has many illegal street markets and with poverty facing many

unemployed urban dwellers, street markets are becoming increasingly

important for those who have anything to sell, including pets.