Dog owners queue up with their dogs at an office in Xiacheng District of Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province on Thursday to get dog ownership certificates. The city started the campaign on Thursday to reign in dog owners' behavior, stipulating that without a permit, owners could face fines as high as 5,000 yuan ($720) per pet. Photo: IC

Frequent dog attacks and conflicts between dog owners and bystanders have led many cities in China to strengthen regulations on dog owners, while a public security official said long-term enforcement is more effective than campaigns.

Media reports have found more than 7,700 serious dog attacks against people since January. Over 16,600 dog bites and scratches were recorded in 2017 in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, up 23 percent from 2016, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

Following the increase in similar incidents and mounting requests from residents, city governments said they are determined to address the problem, issuing "stricter than ever" regulations on dog-keeping behavior.

Hangzhou, capital city of East China's Zhejiang Province, came under the spotlight after a campaign to reign in dog owners' behavior took effect on Thursday. Unleashed walking and daytime walking are banned, and owners could face fines as high as 5,000 yuan ($720) per dog if the dog is not registered.

Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong Province, also began to use a mobile phone app in August, 2017 where dog owners can register their dogs, pay fines and track lost pets. "The app aims to normalize regulations on dog owners to raise their awareness of civilized dog-rearing," Chen Zhao, a public security officer from Jinan in East China's Shandong Province, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Chen noted that "current dog-rearing problems cannot be addressed overnight simply by 'stricter than ever' rules."

Many cities fall into the trap of being "too strict during campaigns and too loose in daily regulations," Chen said.

A Beijing resident surnamed Chen told the Global Times on Tuesday that her boss has been keeping a Rottweiler in their office for years and the dogs has bitten 10 people, mostly strangers like deliverymen and guests.

The Rottweiler is among 40 breeds banned in the city, according to the Beijing Public Security Bureau. 

Zhi Zhenfeng, a legal expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "more people are keeping dogs in populous cities, but few respect civilized practices like leashed walking and droppings cleaning."

The conflict between dogs and people has risen in recent years, with many netizens saying it is the dog owner who needs to be regulated, not the dog.

The enforcement departments are also short on manpower to investigate bad behavior and regulate the owners, Zhi said.