The Shenzhen Municipal Government planned to lower the registration fee for a pet dog from 5,000 yuan (US$610) to 1,000 yuan, a government official said Saturday.

Meanwhile, the annual health check fee for a pet dog might be lowered from 2000 yuan to 200 yuan, according to a draft regulation on dog-keeping expected to be passed this year, said Tan Linqi, head of the Futian animal epidemic prevention office.

There were about 100,000 dogs in Shenzhen, but only about 2 percent were registered, because of the high registration fee, said Tan.

Shenzhen provides free health checks and rabies vaccinations for all dogs in April and September. Even unregistered dogs can be vaccinated free of charge in the two months.

In the two months, free rabies vaccinations are provided at 25 locations designated by the government. The municipal animal epidemic prevention office, one of the locations, works Saturday during the period.

More than 20,000 people were injured by dogs in Shenzhen last year, said Luo Qiuhui, head of the municipal animal epidemic prevention office. However, no one was infected by rabies.

Shenzhen only had three rabies cases last year, all imported.

(Shenzhen Daily April 4, 2005)