In recent legislation, the Chinese government has limited dog ownership to a maximum of 1 per household in this overcrowded city with a population close to 19 million people. According to the new law which took effect in October 2010, anyone caught with an unlicensed dog would be fined $150 dollars, a cost which is prohibitive cost for many Chinese. Reports indicate that the city is overrun with stray dogs, with an estimated 100,000 dog attacks on people each year. Previously, in other parts of China, the government has attempted to decimate large populations of dogs, in inhumane fashion, such as beating and shooting dogs on the spot when discovered, due to the government’s concern about potential rabies outbreak.
