LOCAL dog owners no longer need to pay management fees for keeping dogs but are still required to register their dogs, according to the city’s revised regulations on the management of dog keeping released Wednesday.

The regulations also stipulate that a fine of 500 yuan (US$72) shall be imposed for each dog that is found without registration. Moreover, if the registration is not completed within a deadline after an owner was found keeping a dog without registration, a fine of 2,000 yuan shall be imposed for each dog, and the dog may be confiscated.

According to the previous regulations, dog owners had to pay a 300-yuan management fee for each dog each year and the fees were collected by subdistrict offices or other institutions entrusted by a district’s urban management department.

Those management fees were not required from blind people raising guide dogs, people with serious disabilities raising assistance dogs, or nonprofit organizations that adopt stray or abandoned dogs during the adoption period, according to the old regulations.

The previous regulations also stated that the management fees for spayed dogs were half the price. The newly revised regulations, however, have abolished all of the aforementioned clauses.

Although the management fees for keeping a dog have been canceled, the relevant provisions on dog registration and civilized dog-raising behavior remain unchanged.

In addition, if a dog keeper walks his dog outdoors without abiding by regulations, or enters public places that are off-limits to dogs, the management department is entitled to temporarily impound the dog. Moreover, a district’s urban management department shall issue a warning and impose a fine of 500 yuan.

Following a brutal attack by a dog owner that happened in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in early November, uncivilized dog-raising habits and recurring conflicts between dog owners and other people have triggered widespread attention and extensive discussions across the country.

Other cities, including Hangzhou, Wuhan of Hubei Province, Guangzhou of Guangdong Province and Wenshan of Yunnan Province, have also unveiled measures to strengthen the management of pets.

In Hangzhou, officers will patrol the city from mid-November to the end of December to check for any violations by dog owners, such as not having a dog license or walking a dog without a leash in public places like squares and parks, according to a Xinhua report.

Starting next year, dog owners in Wuhan could be fined up to 1,000 yuan if they fail to walk their dogs on a leash with a tag and muzzle. Meanwhile, police in Guangzhou are offering dog owners free leashes, muzzles, tags and poop-scoops, said the report.(Zhang Yu)