The local leaders of the Dayang New District in the Chinese city of Jinan have reportedly distributed notices on Monday threatening to kill dogs within the community if their owners do not get rid of them. Many observers have criticized the local government order for being too cruel.

The notices were spotted in various areas in the district, which is mostly composed of huge apartment buildings. The written order prohibits residents in the area from owning a dog. The order also authorizes enforcers to enter residences and kill the pets on the spot.

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Mass killing of animals such as dogs have been done before in China, but mostly to prevent the spread of diseases such as rabies. In this case, even pets that have valid licenses and are medically certified to be free of rabies will face the death sentence.

The local government has justified the culling saying it is meant to keep cleanliness of the surrounding and to maintain the "normal lives" of the residents in the area.

No Dayang local official has given a public statement regarding the culling order. A local government staff member, who did not want to be identified, noted in a television interview that most of the people in the district agree with the order.

The unofficial spokesperson for the Dayang local government said that many residents are annoyed by the numerous excrement left by dogs in public places. He also added that they are not really going to enter into homes to kill the pet dogs.

Critics say the local government order is endangering the rights of its citizens to privacy.

China has very few, if any laws, governing the responsibilities of pet owners or cruelty to animals. Public opinion in the country is split between those consider dogs as their best friend and those who see them as mere public nuisance.

Previous communist party leaders, who considered the practice as bourgeois pastime and unneeded luxury, banned citizens from owning dogs.

However, during the last two decades, a growing number of Chinese citizens have started owning dogs as pets. Some have even formed groups dedicated to upholding the rights of animals.

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