SHANGHAI - Dog owners in the city are expected to pay less for their pets' registrations and immunizations after a controversial stipulation requiring owners to pay for their dogs' immunizations was removed from the draft amendment to the Shanghai Animal Epidemic Prevention Regulation on Tuesday.

But who will pay for compulsory immunizations against animal epidemics has not yet been drafted into the amendment.

There are about 800,000 pet dogs in Shanghai but only about a quarter of them are registered and licensed.

Currently, dog owners pay about 1,000 yuan ($147) or 2,000 yuan annually for their dogs' licenses, depending on where the dogs live. The licensing service also includes planting an ID-chip in the dog and providing a vaccine every year.

The costs are considered a big burden by many dog lovers.

"Members of the committee disagree with one another on the issue of cost sharing of dogs vaccinations," said Li Minquan, a member of the Commission of Legislative Affairs at Shanghai Municipal People's Congress.

"Someone believed that mandatory vaccinations for dogs must be ensured and the owner should bear the costs. Others recommended further study on the issue based on the reality that some mandatory vaccinations, such as livestock foot-and-mouth disease vaccination and the highly pathogenic bird flu vaccinations, are actually paid by government," he said.

Some dog owners think the fees are excessive.

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A woman living in Hongkou district, Shanghai, takes her dog to a local veterinary stall for registration and immunization. FILE PHOTO

"I spent too much to get official approval to keep a dog in my home. The dog is part of my family and he brings much happiness to us," said Chen Wei, who was walking a dog in the city's downtown Huaihai Road.

Chen, in his 50s, said he welcomes the government's efforts to lower the cost of a dog license.

"Every dog should get vaccinations because it is good for the family as well as the public. It's better that the government should help undertake part of the expenses on vaccination," he said.

However, a woman, surnamed Yao, believed that all costs for raising pets should be incurred by the owners.

"It is the owner's responsibility to bear the fees and to keep their pets from affecting public health," she said. "Government finance is limited every year and taxpayers' money should be taken good care of Money should be spent in other places that need it more, like the relief efforts in quake-hit Yushu," she said.

The Shanghai committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, one of the eight non-Communist parties on the mainland, made a proposal on dog management to the city's political advisory meeting earlier this year, suggesting the current dog registration fee is too high.

The proposal estimated that the total cost of vaccination, registration and an ID-recording chip for a pet dog is only about 100 yuan, and it suggested that the annual registration fee be set at a reasonable level, such as 300 to 500 yuan.

The municipality's draft regulation on dog management to be reviewed in November, will make it clear whether to lower the registration fee.

The amendment to the Shanghai Animal Epidemic Prevention Regulation is expected to pass sometime after June.

In addition, the draft amendments regulate the excretion and carcasses of animals that have a quarantinable epidemic disease, and the byproducts from diseased animals, should be treated carefully to keep the public environment safe. People who break the rules will be fined up to 3,000 yuan.

China Daily

(China Daily 04/22/2010 page7)