Should we have complete ban on pets?

　　John WooKEEPING animals, including pets, will be banned in the city of Zhuhai under new regulations that come into effect Jan. 1 next year. Under the regulations, people living in the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone will not be permitted to keep dogs, chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, rabbits and pigs, or any other animal.Special approval will be needed for guide dogs for the blind and animals for scientific research. Keeping a pet or other animal will render the owners liable to a fine. Few cities throughout the country have acted as Zhuhai as far as pet-raising is concerned. It is not known whether any will follow Zhuhai’s example and or how the regulations will be accepted by Zhuhai residents. Shenzhen residents must have a license to keep a dog.

　　I was not aware that the city of Zhuhai was going to ban raising dogs.I personally believe that, since there are so many dog lovers, a complete ban will have a great impact on them. But I also believe dog owners need to follow the rules with regard to dog raising, such as having dog licenses, having their pets immunized regularly and keeping them from harming people or spreading disease.It’s not good to deprive people of their love for pets, but people should also meet certain requirements.People’s hobbies should be healthy. That is an important issue. So, the animals they have should get along with people. Dogs are people’s friends, and they can also help raise our children’s awareness to love and protect animals. They can also help children to nurture affection for animals.The ban on dogs may be to keep the city clean. But I still believe that a complete ban is extreme. We should reach a balance where people can satisfy their love for animals while keeping their pets from polluting the environment or harming other people.

　　From a doctor’s perspective, I think dogs are the same as pigs and rats as carriers of the rabies virus. Dogs, in particular, are the main carriers of the virus. In developing countries, where immunization is inadequate, these animals — dogs in particular — are the main transmitters of rabies. In developed countries where immunization is well done, people catch the disease mainly from wild animals such as wolves and bears.While a lot of people keep dogs, it should be noted that many healthy looking dogs actually carry the disease, and people are often ignorant of that.I believe it would be difficult for Shenzhen to adopt the same measures as Zhuhai. The implementation would be rather difficult because people might keep their pets indoors.A better solution might be to lower the license fee in Shenzhen to encourage more people obtain dog licenses.At the same time, immunization and regular checks of domesticated dogs should be further enforced. This way, we could greatly reduce the risk of pets passing the rabies virus to people.

　　I think what Zhuhai has done is cruel and impractical. People love dogs and even treat them as a member of the family. If they are deprived of that love, it may be painful for them.Frankly, I have a dog and I can’t live without it. So you know how I would feel if I was told to get rid of it.I like the idea of more comprehensive immunization. This is good for people as well as for dogs. I have my dog immunized and I often ask others to have their dogs immunized as soon as possible, if they have not already done so.