Pet owners breathed a sigh of relief in Heihe yesterday after officials shelved controversial plans to kill every dog in the city.

Local authorities said they would instead search for a more feasible and humane method to curb the growing pooch population, as well as solicit public opinion.

"At least I don't need to give my dog Qiqi to my cousin in nearby Yichun just yet," said Liu Yuanda, a 34-year-old resident of Heihe, which lies on the border with Russia in Heilongjiang province. "I've had the dog for two years."

But the animal lover told China Daily he and many of his friends had still decided not to walk their pets outside for the next week or so.

The controversial plan was revealed last Wednesday, when Heihe Daily reported that the municipal public security bureau, along with the local bureaus for health, city management and animal husbandry, announced they would fine owners up to 200 yuan ($30) between May 20 and 22 - and then kill any dog found in the city after May 23.

However, a public security official in its Aihui district yesterday told China Daily the project had been scrapped.

"A special team of dog catchers and officials from urban management and the public security bureau was disbanded on Saturday," an Association for Pets' Protection representative surnamed Zhou was quoted in Xinwenhua Post.

The city has seen a sharp rise in the number of dogs on its streets, while many of the animals have not been vaccinated against rabies, local media reported. Meanwhile, data from Heihe's center for disease control and prevention for the past 17 months showed more than 1,000 residents in the city and nearby villages were given anti-rabies jabs after being bitten by dogs.

Source: China Daily