Chinese community offers US$28 reward for killing ‘stray’ dogs

Appeal for responsible dog ownership at Wanjiang Community in Dongguan takes a dark turn as residents encouraged to kill any animal found not on a lead

‘It’s barbaric … not what a civilised society should do,’ local woman says

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The management office behind the reward scheme said it wanted to make dog owners more responsible for their animals. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 5:28pm, 15 Mar 2020Updated: 7:30pm, 15 Mar 2020

People living in a southern China community were up in arms last week after their neighbourhood management office offered cash rewards for slaughtering “stray” dogs, according to an online news report.

The gruesome incentive was included in a notice issued to residents of the Wanjiang Community in Dongguan, Guangdong province, in response to complaints about irresponsible dog owners, Kankanews.com reported.

While the document dealt mostly with issues such as the need for owners to have a licence for their pets and to show consideration for other residents by keeping their animals on a lead in public areas and cleaning up after them, it also included a warning.

According to the management office, any dog seen within the grounds of the compound and not on a lead would be classed as a stray. And anyone who killed a stray was entitled to claim a reward of 200 yuan (US$28) – once the death had been verified by a security guard.

Many dogs were left to fend for themselves after scores of Chinese cities were locked down in the fight against the coronavirus. Photo: Reuters

Many who saw the notice were horrified, the report said.

“It’s such a barbaric rule. It’s not what a civilised society should do,” a woman was quoted as saying.