YEAR OF THE DOG?

Beijing, November 14 (Xinhua) - Police in the Chinese capital Tuesday refuted rumors that dogs are being slaughtered in the city.

This follows a demonstration Saturday, when hundreds of angry dog owners confronted police in Beijing to protest the one-dog policy in eight designated districts. The policy is part of a campaign concerning “pet dog management work.” Some twenty demonstrators were arrested before police cordoned off the area and hundreds of reinforcements in nearby streets tried to stop photography and filming.

Dog lovers in China have been outraged as unlicensed dogs have been killed or confiscated. Only dogs shorter than 12" (36cm) are allowed, so those with golden retrievers or German shepherds are given ten days to relocate them.

Beijing is home to over a million dogs, half of which are stray dogs. Beijing is where the 2008 Summer Olympics take place. The official reason for the campaign is rabies, and in provinces where rabies is a problem, extermination is the answer; this past summer, 54,000 dogs were slaughtered in Yunnan Province. However, a state media report confirms rabies is not a problem in Beijing.

So, what is it? Could it be that the Chinese government considers its stray dog population unwelcome guests in the 2008 Olympics?

Could it?

Could it?