Photo: Sina Weibo

 
A heated online debate has been sparked in China over how to better manage pet ownership  after an off-leash Rottweiler brutally attacked a 2-year-old girl in the city of Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Provinces including East China's Anhui, Central China's Hunan and Henan are among the places to issue notices to catch off-leash dogs and stray dogs in public areas for safety reasons, media reported.

The city of Hebi in Henan said fierce dogs, large dogs and other dogs taller than 55 centimeters are not allowed in residential areas. In case of violations, the public security organ shall confiscate the dog and impose a fine between 5,000 yuan ($683) to10,000 yuan on its owner. 

The city of Xinyu in East China's Jiangxi said stray dogs and dogs that no one has claimed will be euthanized after they stayed in the detention center more than 20 days. A notice will be released to the public 10 days prior to the euthanization, The Paper reported.

Actions of provinces taking measures to deal with those uncivilized behaviors came after the incident saw the 2-year-old girl set upon by the large black Rottweiler in a residential compound, during which time she was bitten multiple times. The child was admitted to an intensive care unit and was diagnosed with a tear in her right kidney and a fractured rib. 

The family has launched a fundraising campaign, with a target amount of 2 million yuan as they are burdened with costly medical bills. Previous news reported that the pet owner, surnamed Tang, was arrested on October 17.

The brutal attack has garnered significant sympathy online, with many calling for stricter dog management and harsh punishment for pet owners who violate the rules. Some netizens have taken these opinions to the extreme, advocating for the culling of all unleashed and stray dogs.

Opposing voices have emerged, amplified by actresses who argue that "not all stray dogs are bad dogs" and that it is unfair to blame all dogs for someone else's mistake. 

In the meanwhile, certain individual places have been accused of inhumane treatment of stray dogs during their capture, raising concerns about whether culling is the right solution. The Liaoning Advertising Vocational College in Northeast China fired a security guard after an investigation confirmed that the guard had deliberately hung a stray dog to death. 

Chinese actress Liu Yase posted on Sina Weibo on Friday, stating that "not all stray dogs are bad dogs" and called for "an end to the killing of animals." Celebrity Yang Di also posted a video on short video platform Douyin the same day, saying that people don't have to all love dogs, but "please do not harm them."

Observers specializing in animal welfare told the Global Times that there is a general consensus that dogs should be treated well and measures should be taken to prevent them from harming people.

Chen Minjie, a staffer from the Cat and Dog Welfare Program with the Animals Asia Foundation, told the Global Times on Monday that the heated debate surrounding uncivilized incidents reflects the expanded pet ownership in the country and the varying quality of pet owners. Attention should be focused on addressing the behavior of uncivilized dog owners, rather than a widespread antagonism between dog owners and non-dog owners.
Chen pointed out that challenges in managing uncivilized pet behavior stem from low legal consequences for behavior such as owners not leashing their dogs or not cleaning up after them. 
Additionally, law enforcement agencies face difficulties in gathering evidence and enforcing the law. Chen emphasized the need for legislation promoting responsible dog ownership and urged cities without urban dog management regulations to enact them as soon as possible and update them accordingly.