Mastiff attacks spark renewed debate on urban dog control_美文

Mastiff attacks spark renewed debate on urban dog control

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The death of a 6-year-old girl from a dog bite on the neck has set off another national debate about dogs, especially large breeds living in densely populated areas.

The girl from Dalian, Liaoning province, was bitten by a Tibetan mastiff while shopping with her mother on June 27. The injury was so serious that the girl died soon after being sent to a hospital.

On June 3, an 8-year-old girl in Yuncheng, Shanxi province, was bitten by another dog of this breed. The girl struggled for about one minute but soon stopped moving.

A passing villager drove his electric bike onto the dog, trying to scare it away but failed. He then used a stick to hit the dog on the head until the dog ran away.

The two cases have aroused heated debate and discussion on urban dog management.

The Beijing police started a citywide crackdown on large and dangerous dogs on June 2, in an attempt to avoid attacks on people and diseases from the animals.

"Dogs have animal instincts and may show them from time to time, like barking loudly or even biting people, when threatened, scared or feeling their owner is at risk," said Feng Liyuan, a 46-year-old resident of Beijing's Chaoyang district.

"Some dogs are even trained to be vicious to guard the house. Children and the elderly may easily fall victim" to such dogs, Feng said.

Under the Beijing crackdown, dogs of 35 cm in height or taller or those of the 41 breeds identified as violent, including bulldogs and collies, will be banned in certain areas, including six key regions (Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai and Shijingshan districts), as well as some rural regions that are densely populated.