Is It Right to Ban Urban Dog Owners from Walking Their Pets During the Day?

Avideo went viral on November 3, 2018 showing a mother in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, pushing away a dog that ran after her young children, after which she was physically assaulted by the dog’s owner. The video sparked off fierce discussion on the relationship between people and dogs.

Following the airing of the video, the Hangzhou Government issued a series of regulations to restrict the movement and management of dogs. One of the most controversial regulations is that urban residents can only walk their dogs between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Outside of these hours dogs are not allowed to enter public spaces such as markets, parks and green spaces. And dog excrement must be promptly removed by dog owners. Those who violate the regulations will be fined from 200 yuan ($29) to 400 yuan ($58).

Several days earlier, Wenshan in southwest China’s Yunnan Province had issued similar regulations, banning dogs from being walked between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Although there are existing regulations for keeping dogs in some cities, the regulations in Hangzhou and Wenshan are much stricter. People are divided on this issue nationwide. Supporters believe that these policies can help avoid conflicts between people and dogs so as to ensure personal safety. However, those who oppose such regulations hold that it is unreasonable to restrict the dog-walking time just because of some dog owners’ improper behavior.