Dog lovers, including yours truly, are ecstatic to hear the news of Liyuan Dog Market closing – hopefully very, very soon. The market has been hit by scandals of improper breeding and mishandling, yet has remained extremely popular according to an article published in Beijing Today.
Liyuan is located in the Tongzhou District, which happens to be a hot spot for low-end breeding as breeders could earn as much as RMB 200,000 annually. A specialty breed would sell for approximately RMB 10,000. The market has attracted a large number of vendors that have lead to management and “quality” control issues:
“By 2006, there were frequent reports of Liyuan vendors selling sick animals that had been subjected to industrial dyes and amateur plastic surgery to make them resemble more valuable breeds.”
–Beijing Today
According to the article, Liyuan County stated that the troubled dog market didn’t represent the standards of China’s breeding industry.
Liyun is situated close to the proposed new Universal Studios Beijing site–Perhaps this was the reason? Whatever the reasons for the crackdown, at least sick dogs will no longer be sold at ridiculous prices. The local government rebranding its image from rural to urban is just icing on the cake.
If you would like to get a pet, then adopt one from ICVS. Here are the things you need to consider before adopting an animal.
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