Qingdao banned 40 "ferocious" dog breeds for residents living the the downtown districts. Some of the restricted breeds include Tibetan mastiffs, akitas and German shepherds.
The rules were spurred by "more and more people raising dogs, which has led to some dogs disturbing residents, and even cases of them injuring people", an unnamed official said.
Dog ownership in China has skyrocketed in recent years as the country'€™s growing middle class prioritizes quality of life. The vast majority of pet owners are under the age of 45 and there were 100m pets in China in 2015, with 62% of them dogs, followed by cats at 19%.
Certain canines are seen as status symbols, and trends come and go, sometimes leading to a glut of a once-popular breed. Pet ownership grows roughly 10 percent a year.
Owners with more than one canine must give the others to an adoption agency in order to comply with the one-dog policy. The new rules also establish fines for slaughtering dogs, abandonment and mistreatment, imposing an initial fine of 2,000 yuan, while repeated offenders can have their dogs confiscated.
All dogs must also be registered with the authorities.
Qingdao banned 40 "ferocious" dog breeds for residents living the the downtown districts. Some of the restricted breeds include Tibetan mastiffs, akitas and German shepherds.
