Many people have voiced support for a proposal to implement regulations requiring individuals to register their dogs and cats with authorities in Ho Chi Minh City.

Up to 545 out of 772 readers, or 70.6 percent, participating in Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper’s poll on the proposal supported it, advocating for its nationwide application, as of 3:30 pm on Saturday.

Tuoi Tre launched the online poll after the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ho Chi Minh City floated the establishment of temporary regulations for managing dog and cat breeding. 

The department aims to institutionalize policies for breeding and managing these animals, meeting requirements for disease prevention and public health protection. 

Once implemented, these regulations will govern various activities related to pet ownership, including pet keeping, commercial breeding, accommodation services, animal rescue, and more.

As per the proposed regulations, individuals would be required to register and declare ownership of their dogs and cats twice a year with the commune-level People’s Committee. 

Pet owners would be encouraged to microchip their pets for breeding management, vaccination, and quarantine purposes. 

They would have to make an immediate declaration within three days of acquiring a new pet or upon request from relevant authorities

Pet owners would also have to commit to environmental protection, noise control, and disease prevention and control measures related to their animals, including vaccinating their dogs and cats against rabies.

They would be prohibited from allowing their dogs to roam freely in public areas. 

When in public, owners would have to ensure the safety of those around them by keeping their dogs leashed or muzzled, and under control at all times.

In addition, when accompanying their dogs to public spaces, pet owners would be required to carry an adequate supply of waste containers and promptly clean up any waste produced by their dogs. 

All fecal waste would have to be disposed of hygienically.

Doghouses for aggressive dogs must be inaccessible to people and equipped with warning signs. 

In addition, they should offer suitable sleeping quarters tailored to prevailing weather conditions, featuring a minimum floor space of 10 square meters per animal, and minimum height and width dimensions of 1.8 meters.

Many Tuoi Tre readers eagerly await the issuance of the new regulations in response to various incidents involving dogs and cats, including noise disturbances, hygiene concerns in public areas, attacks on individuals, disease spread, and traffic accidents across the city.

Le Thi Bay from Tan Binh District fully supports the proposal, citing issues of open defecation and aggressive dog behavior in her neighborhood. 

As the Department of Health in Ho Chi Minh City continues to emphasize rabies prevention, the strict management of dog and cat ownership becomes increasingly crucial, with local authorities needing to establish comprehensive management mechanisms, according to Bay.

Meanwhile, Trinh Hong Ngoc from District 12, voiced concerns about the potential difficulty in enforcing one of the proposed regulations aimed at limiting dog noise levels.

A pet owner herself, Ngoc suggested focusing on encouraging pet owners to minimize noise generation.

Tuoi Tre’s poll also revealed divergent views, with 204 votes favoring the notion that registration alone suffices, citing the higher cost associated with microchip installation, while 23 respondents opted for 'Other opinions.'

In Ho Chi Minh City, there are currently over 184,000 dogs and cats being cared for by nearly 105,000 families.

According to the city’s Center for Disease Control, in the year to date, approximately 10,000 city people have required medical attention due to animal bites, marking a jump of 1,000 cases compared to the same period last year.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!