The Beijing Municipal People's Congress (BMPC), the capital's top legislature, is considering whether to further lower the fees collected from people who raise and keep dogs in the city.

The body's action comes after seeking public opinion from members of the BMPC Standing Committee and local residents.

"To raise a dog in urban Beijing, an owner will have to pay fees of 1,000 yuan (US$121) in the first year and 500 yuan (US$60) per year in the following years," said a draft revision to the Beijing Municipal Regulation on Dog Raising. The measure was debated yesterday by BMPC Standing Committee and will be voted on by top legislators tomorrow after additional amendments.

The figures for dog-raising fees found in the draft revision are only one-fifth and one quarter respectively of the current figures.

The matter was put forward by the municipal government in April and was debated for the first time at the BMPC Standing Committee in July.

Guide dogs raised to assist the blind or dogs that provide assistance to disabled people will be free of charge like before and won't be affected by the fee revisions, the draft says.

Dogs owned by senior widowers and widows living in poverty, as well as dogs that have been spayed or neutered will likely not be subject to the fees.

The changes were made after the BMPC Standing Committee sought advice from the public in early August, according to Wang Jiayan, vice-director of the BMPC Legislative Committee.

About 5,300 pieces of advices have been received through telephone calls, e-mails, on-line messages and letters.

Based on advice from residents and public security authorities, officials also noted that residents also want dogs forbidden from being walked at Tian'anmen Square, Chang'an Avenue and other major streets.

Furthermore, to ensure people's security, the BMPC Legislative Committee wants to forbid people to take dogs on elevators except for guide dogs, those owned by the disabled and those kept by senior citizens.

Some people say they strongly disagree with the new proposals.

"Since I am a real estate owner, it is my right to bring my pet with me when and where I want to go," said Yang Qun, a Beijing resident and a devoted dog owner.

The draft revision allows for free rabies injections for dogs.

Rabies has become the top infectious disease in China that has killed the biggest number of people among all infectious diseases in the first half year, according to sources with the Ministry of Health.

The sharply rising number of pets in cities and the out-of-order animal management are believed to be two major causes to the rabies epidemic. The problem has grown much worse in the past three years, officials say. Ministries of health, agriculture and public security, as well as the State Food and Drug Administration will jointly make inspections to help resolve the canine-related issues in the near future.

(China Daily September 4, 2003)