Should pet dogs be banned in cities? This topic has been continuously debated. Supporters say that even pet dogs inevitably retain some wild instincts, and every year there are incidents of dogs injuring people, so pet dogs should be banned in cities. Opponents say dogs are mankind’s best friends, appearing in many fields such as police dogs, guide dogs, and search and rescue dogs, so they should not be banned in cities. Opinions vary, so today the editor from Boqi.com will discuss this topic. Let's take a look below.

China uses about 15 million doses of human rabies vaccine annually, indicating that the number of people bitten by dogs is too high! It should be noted that although not all of these vaccines are due to dog bites, dogs account for the largest proportion. This data illustrates the terrifying dog problem. It is now not only a rabies issue but requires simultaneous rabies prevention and dog problem control. According to experts’ thinking, as long as dogs are vaccinated, humans wouldn’t need the vaccine, and millions or even over ten million dog bite incidents per year would become insignificant. I really don’t know when these experts started thinking this way. Many times I’ve seen rabies experts argue adamantly about reducing the misuse of human rabies vaccines, and I feel deeply saddened. Why don’t these experts consider how to reduce the number of people bitten by dogs? Any independent thinker seeing such sensational ideas from these experts should see their fundamental absurdity.

The editor wants to point out a truth here: China nearly eradicated rabies before, but the rampant dog keeping led to a rise in cases again. I recently read an article where a rabies expert tried to promote mandatory dog vaccination. I fundamentally disagree with this expert’s idea, but some data provided gave me great insight. At that time, a national rabies comprehensive prevention office was established, adopting a "Manage, Vaccinate, Eliminate" comprehensive measure, meaning management, immunization, and dog elimination. Most provinces carried out strict dog elimination campaigns, reducing dog density to certain levels, and rabies could no longer spread. So in the early 1990s, rabies incidence was very low, about 100 cases nationwide annually. However, elimination of dogs is not a permanent solution. With improved living standards, dog keeping rates rose rapidly, leading to more dog bite injuries. Without immunization of dogs as a guarantee, human rabies naturally increased again. Of course, dog elimination is neither humane nor consistent with modern human health concepts. Prevention is key, which has been proven in developed countries.

Although there are many who oppose dog keeping today, one issue cannot be avoided: a correct judgment must be made between civilized dog keeping and dog bans. Although the idea of civilized dog keeping has been refuted countless times, it cannot stop the same lies from repeatedly appearing. Previously, I was always worried that these lies about civilized dog keeping sounded plausible and would mislead many people, pet dog bans in residential areas have become imperative. Most people agree on banning dogs because dogs disturb residents and even endanger public safety, including children’s safety. The proliferation of aggressive dogs causes frequent biting incidents. Some dogs bark incessantly day and night, directly disturbing neighbors’ rest. The so-called pet dogs are actually nuisance aggressive dogs.

Dogs should be banned in cities because they damage the hygiene environment. Dogs urinate everywhere, and sidewalks are covered with dog feces, which can be accidentally stepped on. Due to the excessive dog feces, it is hard to avoid stepping on some even when careful. Dogs damage the environment, and dog bite incidents happen frequently. Dog barking is severe noise pollution. On a quiet night, just as you’re about to fall asleep, a sudden loud and frantic dog barking disturbs your peace, making it hard to fall asleep again.