China Daily, 11/27/03: Poor told to surrender dogs or get off welfare

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http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-11/27/content_285193.htm

 

 

Poor told to surrender dogs or get off welfare

( 2003-11-27 10:02) (eastday.com)

 

According to statistics, the average spending on a dog by pet owners

is 300 yuan (US$37) per month in Shanghai. [newsphoto.com.cn]

 

If you can afford to raise a dog, you don't need welfare.

That's the controversial argument that has stirred heated

debate around the country over the last several months, with both the

central government and various city authorities jumping into the

debate.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued a

statement saying it is acceptable for welfare recipients to raise

pets.

But the central government doesn't decide who is eligible for

payments and who isn't, and those who do decide often consider pet

dogs the type of expensive luxury that proves a family doesn't need

financial help from outsiders.

In some cities, the rules are clear. Nanjing, for instance,

issued a regulation in March saying dog owners are ineligible for

public subsidies.

In Shanghai, however, the rules change depending on which

neighborhood you live in.

Families living under the poverty line in Shanghai - meaning

those with a monthly income below 290 yuan (US$35) per member - can

apply to their neighborhood committees for a government subsidy of up

to 290 yuan a month.

But different committees have different thoughts on whether

or not the poor should own a pooch.

" As the subsidy is granted to people living under the poverty

line, it is certainly improper for subsidy recipients to have an

extravagant living style, such as raising pets, " said Liu Biqing, a

local resident.

If they can afford to feed their pets, they don't need help

to survive, Liu said.

Many local residents and committee members share that view,

noting that it costs 2,000 yuan a year to license a dog.

By the end of last year, Shanghai was home to 89,000 licensed

pet dogs and even more unlicensed canines.

Many neighborhood committees in the city won't approve

subsidies for families owning " expensive properties " such as cell

phones, motorcycles and some pets.

" Sometimes, some jobless people with extravagant possessions

will come to us to apply for financial assistance, but they are

usually immediately rejected, " said Xu Yonghong, a local neighborhood

committee official.

Others in the city, however, say dogs shouldn't be considered

a luxury item.

" Living is a larger concept than just survival, " said Ma

Qianfeng, a psychologist at Fudan University. " It is natural for

people living below the poverty line to have some psychological

needs, such as raising pets. "

Some poverty-stricken seniors would rather skip a meal here

and there, he said, than part with their furry companion.

Xia Jianmin, an official with the Shanghai Civil Affairs

Bureau, said the decision to grant a subsidy should be made on a

case-by-case basis.

" As situations vary a lot and it is too difficult for us to

define what kind of pets are extravagant, " he said. " The only

criteria we should stick to is whether the family's monthly income is

really below the city's poverty line. "

Currently, about 400,000 families in the city receive monthly

subsidies.

 

 

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Friends of dogs

http://www.friendsofdogs.net

Dogs brighten our life with their gift of love. It is our turn to

help our dogs. Please help organisations who are fighting to get dogs

out of the food chain.

 

http://www.koreananimals.org/

http://www.animalsasia.org/

http://www.linisgobyerno.org/special_projects.htm

 

 

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