As interest in dogs as pets grows in China, state media have recently reported several attacks by German shepherd dogs and raised questions about the responsibility of their owners.
Three German shepherds killed an 11-year-old boy in Guangdong two weeks ago, and police have asked the owners to kill the dogs, according to Sina.com. The Internet portal, one of China's most widely read news sources, has carried 12 stories about German shepherd attacks since late September.
German shepherds have long been popular both as obedient pets and as guard dogs willing to menace intruders, two Beijing dog experts said. Bites are nothing new either, one said.
In cities, dogs scare children and cause scuffles in lifts, said Rosie Yu, of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. In the countryside, where dog owners need not register as they do in cities, she said many lack awareness of the damage dogs can do and end up compensating injured neighbours.
'It's a hot topic,' Ms Yu said. 'It's not against the dogs; it's against the owners.' But people should not assume the number of dog attacks or irresponsible owners is increasing, said a vet at the China Agricultural University.
