Owners could face credit blacklist if pets misbehave

Owners of pets that disturb or injure people in Shanghai may find their names on a credit blacklist, which would make applying for loans and jobs, or receiving public welfare, difficult.

It's the latest measure in the city to encourage people to keep animals in a way that avoids triggering disputes with neighbors, as more families are choosing to have pets.

At least seven incidents involved pet dogs injuring people nationwide within one month in June 2013, according to media reports. A 6-year-old girl in Dalian, Liaoning province, lost her life.

"Those who are involved in uncivil behavior, such as stealing free rides on subways, have their details recorded in the public credit information system," said Pan Min, director of Shanghai Municipal Ethical Civilization Construction Commission Office.

"We also aim to use this channel to discourage uncivil behavior regarding keeping dogs, such as leaving dog waste in the street, not putting a pet on a leash while outside and not stopping it if it barks late in the night."

"Negative credit records will be more powerful than fines as they will impact offenders' quality of life in a practical way," said Zhou Jiani, a 25-year-old Shanghai resident who has owned a poodle for three years.

Usually the records in the credit system are kept for seven years. Some people have suggested that the time limit for repeat offenders should be longer, as a more powerful deterrent.

Shanghai rolled out its dog management regulations in May last year, with clear guidelines for how dog owners should keep their pets in public. But so far the regulations do not appear to be working.

For example, all dogs kept by families in the city must be registered with the public security department and receive compulsory rabies vaccine injections.

However, only 260,000 of the estimated 800,000 dogs living in the city have been registered, according to Shanghai East Radio.

zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn