Family planning now extending to dogs in Guangzhou

Get ready to say goodbye to Fido... if he's the second dog you have.

As Guangzhou prepares for the 2010 Asian Games, a new policy will be implemented on July 1 that allows only one dog per household. The measure is meant to standardize the pet-raising industry, as well as control stray dogs and rabies and hopefully lead to cleaner streets.

Cities like Beijing have long had one-dog policies in place. But because the policy will not be slowly introduced into Guangzhou, families with more than one canine will be forced to choose (pretty quickly) which pet they love more and which gets thrown to the streets. Anyone found breaking the rules will be fined up to 2,000 yuan. Understandably, the regulations are being met with lots of resentment.

While it is unknown how hard the government plans on enforcing these rules, many citizens are already searching for loopholes around the new policy. One woman said she plans on registering her second dog under the her parents' name, adding, "When the people at the top make a policy, the people at the bottom find a way to get around it."

Still, vets in Guangzhou say they are already fearing a spike in abandoned dogs come July. We think it's a crying shame that the Guangzhou government has chosen this route rather than trying to educate the populace about more proper dog care.

With more people coming into middle-class status and buying pets, many dog owners are still unaware of the benefits of spaying and neutering their new companions. Many dogs are also not vaccinated, leading to the euthanization of thousands of dogs last month in the wake of a rabies scare.

As far as we know, Shanghai pet owners are still free to have multiple dogs. Hopefully the changes in Guangzhou don't move north, or else a certain Shanghaiist editor is going to have to pick his favorite.

Photo by lajollabiker