An official from the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau's security division yesterday refuted some citizens' opinions spread on the Internet, which call the implementation of dog-control measures "a dog-slaughtering campaign," dismissing the rumors as a "gross misrepresentation of the truth."

According to the official, some citizens regard the implementation of dog-control measures as "a drive to beat dogs," house-to-house publicity and motivation as "the confiscation of dogs," and the confiscation of unlicensed dogs as "maltreating or slaughtering dogs."

By November 13, the dog-collection and quarantine agency under the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau had hauled in a total of 500 dogs. The dogs mainly include those abandoned by owners, unlicensed pets and stray ones. Most of the dogs were unlicensed and their owners gave them up of their own accord.

Once sent here, each dog will be registered, given an ID number and quarantined, the official said. The healthy ones will be sent to an adoption department to await new owners.

The appointment times for adoption are 9-11:30 AM and 2-4:30 PM on Tuesday and Friday. The telephone number for the center is 6973 8604.

Any dog owners wishing to get rid of their pets may drop them off at their local police stations. Meanwhile, citizens willing to own a dog are invited to adopt previously-owned dogs and call for details. Once an appointment is made, citizens may go to the dog-collection agency and show the dog-raising certification permit issued by local residents' committees and their valid ID card.

Necessary qualifications for possessing a dog are a valid ID card, full civil capacities and permanent residence located outside dog-raising prohibition areas.

The bureau said that the strict implementation of dog-control measures mainly aims to solve nine prominent problems, including the raising of large or vicious dogs, unlicensed dogs, multiple dogs by single households, and owners bringing their dogs to public places.

While urging dog owners to behave according to the rules, the bureau will enforce the laws to protect dog-raising and citizens' legal rights and interests. To aid this goal, a professional law enforcement team and grass-roots management organizations will be part of a wider permanent mechanism.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting and Li Jingrong, November 14, 2006)