Beijingkids has been an essential family resource for Beijing international families since 2006. And just as kids grow up in the blink of an eye, Beijing has grown and changed almost beyond recognition in that time. In Throwback Thursday we jump in the time machine, traveling through our 14 year-strong blog archives to dig out the most entertaining, fascinating, and thought-provoking stories for your reading pleasure. Ready? Let’s go…
With the mercury rising up into the mid ’30s, it feels like the dog days of summer are already upon us. But this week’s throwback is dog-themed for all the wrong reasons. Back in June 2011, we reported on a spate of suspected dog poisoning that had occurred in Capital Paradise, a community in Shunyi.
According to the article, more than twenty dogs may have died in quick succession, and while they presented symptoms similar to that of rabies – agitated running, strange barking, salivating, and vomiting to cramping and running a high temperature – at least one of the dogs was vaccinated against the common disease making it extremely likely that they were deliberately killed.
Unfortunately, this 2011 incident was neither the first or last time that groups of dogs were killed in such a way in the capital. As our sister site the Beijinger reported in 2018, there have been deadly dog poisoning attacks like these on a pretty regular basis since at least 2005.
For best results, we recommend bringing your dog to all our events
China has a complicated relationship with dogs, largely because it has the second-highest number of reported rabies cases in the world. In Beijing alone, 27 victims died from rabies in attacks by non-vaccinated dogs between 2014 and 2016, according to Beijing Ditan Hospital. In the 1980’s, on some 5,000 people died from rabies per year across the country, and although those numbers have fallen dramatically, the association between dogs and this deadly disease still lingers.
However, change is on the horizon as Beijing’s middle class chose to keep dogs as pets in increasing numbers, normalizing the sight of big fluffy canines wandering the streets. Furthermore, as of Apr 8 this year, dogs are now officially recognized as pets in China, thanks to legislation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in a move designed to change their classification from livestock to pets. Even the culinary practice of eating dogs has been declining in popularity in China in recent years, with Shenzhen becoming the first city in China to officially ban it outright.
For now, we recommend all pet owners to ensure their pets are up to date on their vaccinations, are properly registered at the PSB on an annual basis (this year’s registration window has been extended to Dec 31), and are kept on a leash in all public areas.
You can read the original article in its entirety here.
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