Dog Round-Up in Beijing Draws World Attention

But what has horrified pet advocates worldwide is the brutal solution that some places in China have adopted to solve the rabies problem. This summer, officials in one section of Yunnan Province ordered an extermination campaign that led to the slaughter of more than 54,000 dogs. Another smaller extermination drive was held in Shandong Province.

Grace Ge Gabriel, the Asia director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said her group agreed that dog owners should vaccinate their pets and register them. But she said Beijing’s current ban against big dogs was wrongheaded because it was based on the premise that they are more vicious.