Tens of thousands of Beijing residents were given rabies shots for dog bites during the first 10 months of this year, according to local medical departments.
Local police were quoted by Beijing Morning Post as saying that in Haidian district alone, more than 7,600 people were bittenby dogs during the period.
The figure was six times higher than that in 1995, when the local legislature passed a bill regulating dog ownership in the city proper.
To date, some 130,000 dogs have been registered, but police estimate the total is closer to 650,000.
Many citizens complain that dog-owners bring their dogs to public places such as restaurants, playgrounds, and even into elevators.
Some municipal lawmakers are proposing an amendment to the 1995 regulations permitting dogs in public places.
(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2001)
