Owner of dog biting boy detained, banned from keeping dogs for 5 years

Zhang Jin China Plus Published: 2018-08-15 16:18:35
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A dog owner in Chengdu has been detained for 10 days and fined 500 yuan (73 U.S. dollars) after his dog, a German Shepherd, seriously wounded a boy while it was off its leash, reports West China City Daily.

On Tuesday, August 14, 2018 local police officers speak about the case from the weekend where a boy was bitten by a German Shepherd in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. [Photo: Chengdu Business Daily/VCG]

On Tuesday, August 14, 2018 local police officers speak about the case from the weekend where a boy was bitten by a German Shepherd in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. [Photo: Chengdu Business Daily/VCG]

The dog attacked a 13-year-old boy surnamed Hou on Saturday in a residential area, severely injuring the boy's legs and ears.

The dog's owner, a man surnamed Zhao, has paid 4,000 yuan for the boy's medical treatment. But Hou's family are demanding compensation for further medical expenses, including the cost of psychological therapy and potentially for cosmetic surgery to repair the boy's ears.

In addition to detention and the fine, local police said the dog's owner has been banned from owning a dog for the next five years. The German Shepherd, a breed banned from being kept as a pet in Chengdu, has been transferred to an animal shelter.

Dog owners take their dog for a walk on a leash in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. [File photo: VCG]

Dog owners take their dog for a walk on a leash in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. [File photo: VCG]

Dog management has become a heated topic in China as more people choose to keep the animals as pets. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics for last year shows that there are nearly 130 million dogs kept as pets across China.

Keeping large or strong dogs has been banned in many cities in China, and many places have introduced regulations to encourage responsible dog ownership.

In Jinan City in Shandong Province, a credit scoring system has been introduced whereby dog owners lose points if they walk their dogs without a leash, or if their dogs disturb other people. People who lose all of their 12 points are required to attend classes on good pet ownership, and their dogs will be impounded until the owners pass the exam at the end of the course.

In the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province, owners have to ensure that their dog wears an identification tag, and that they are kept on a leash and wear a mouth guard to prevent them from biting people.

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