Illustration: Lu Ting/GT

A dog activity event held at Shanghai Binjiang Forest Park recently attracted nearly 300 dog owners who enthusiastically grasped the rare opportunity to let their dogs run free on park lawns.

It was not the first time a local park has welcomed dogs. Shanghai Yuehu Sculpture Park has been allowing licensed dogs to enter since 2005. But the location of the park in suburban Songjiang district combined with the high admission fees - 80 yuan ($12.8) for adults and 30 yuan for pets - makes it too inconvenient and expensive for average citizens.

I think opening to dogs should be the norm for all downtown parks. The event at Shanghai Binjiang Forest Park can be a good example for parks to follow. But it is also key that pet owners manage their pets well.

Dog walking in parks is not prohibited in many overseas countries. But in Shanghai, due to concern about other park-goers' feelings, dogs are not permitted in most local parks.

The main objection to allowing dogs in parks is that people are scared of dogs, that the animals may be dangerous, and that owners fail to pick up feces.

But in a survey of some 400 people by Shanghai Binjiang Forest Park, 85 percent agreed that the park should have an enclosed area for pets, while only 8 percent absolutely disapproved.

So the park authority was prudent and considerate in organizing this event. They strictly reviewed these dogs' licenses. To prevent the dogs from affecting other park visitors, an area in the park was fenced off and there was even an exclusive car parking area for dog owners to ensure there was no contact between dogs and other park-goers who dislike dogs.

All these measures should not be too difficult for other parks to implement. The key factor that discourages downtown parks from allowing dogs is inconsiderate pet owners who have failed to adequately train their dogs and allow their animals to behave badly.

Stories about vicious dogs attacking other dogs or people in residential compounds are often reported.

One recent story told of an elderly man who for the past eight years has been collecting and disposing of the dog feces in his compound, because so many dog owners fail to do so. The question is, why aren't these pet owners ashamed of themselves?

If dog owners can muzzle their animals and collect their feces, then park-goers will not object to their presence. Lots of other park-goers who love dogs but cannot keep one at their homes for various reasons would love to play with other people's dogs in a downtown park.

In the meantime, although park-goers get free admission to most downtown parks, a charge can be levied on dogs and other pets, which will give parks revenue to provide facilities at which pet owners can get free tissues, plastic bags and gloves to collect their animals' poop. This will make parks a pleasurable experience for people and pets alike.