New City Ordinance Makes Our Dog a Chinese Citizen

It's official - Rusty, our dog, is a legal resident of Xinjiang, China.  No joke.  We've only had him for a month and a half and he already has his mug shot in front of a red background on important forms.  He has a passport-looking document, an ID tag and all of his information is filed at our local police station.  I've cut through my share of red tape while living here in Xinjiang but this one takes the cake.

It all started last month when our municipal government passed an ordinance requiring all dogs to be registered.  According to news reports (I've never actually read the ordinance) all dog owners are required during the month of April to register their dogs, after which registration will cost 500 RMB per dog (about US$70).  Dogs exceeding a certain weight limit or size will be rejected, although I'm told that a little under-the-table money would easily escape that clause.  Dog registration was separated into two parts:

1. Dog Owner Contract: Our city here is divided into smaller districts that each have their own police office overseeing the district.  We had to take Rusty down to this office and sign a contract saying that as dog owners we will: bathe our dog, feed him regularly, keep him from barking (how do you do that?) and take him to get his shots when necessary.  On top of this we also had to sign our name saying that we would never take him to a city park, hospital, or school.  You heard me right - dogs aren't allowed in the park here.  I'm told this is because too many people were being bit by dogs in the park and pooping on the sacred grass.  You've got to be kidding.
   
2. Official City Registration: After getting district approval ("We, the district, don't mind having this dog around our neighborhood") Rusty took a short taxi ride to the city office that is managing all of these registrations.  Here, among many other dogs who had arrived for the same reason, his picture was taken and his details (hair color, dog type, birthday, name, etc) were taken down.  Two days later he proudly took an oath of loyalty to China while wearing his ID dog tag and was presented his "Certificate for Dog Adoption & Immunity".  We were so proud - that is until we realized that according to his papers his name wasn't "Rusty"...it was "Rosty".  I guess I shouldn't complain.  At first they didn't even want to accept an English name for him.
   

But what happens to the dogs who are found without proper documentation?  Part one of this process was most likely a fix to the problem of dogs recklessly biting and pooping everywhere.  It was an epidemic that had to be stopped.  Part two is meant to clean our streets of strays, which up until this point I didn't think was a huge problem.  Owners whose dogs are caught without proper ID will be fined 500 RMB and dogs roaming the street will be taken in.  What happens from there I don't know, but I don't think they'll be cruel - at least that's what I tell my wife to keep her from adopting the whole city's dog population.

As much as I find this whole process absolutely ridiculous, there may be some good that comes out of it.  First of all, I've noticed that all dogs in our neighborhood are much cleaner, as if their owners gave them a bath for the first time in a year...or ever.  I think that's a good thing.  Second, if we ever decide to bring our pup home to America - something my wife insists I consider - then maybe we have a better chance with all this paperwork to show for him.  A passport works to get us back to our home country, why won't it work to get Rusty out?