“限时遛狗”新规引争议

For many dog owners, walking their pet may be one of the happiest moments in a day – a time of relaxation for themselves and their pets.
对于许多养狗人士而言，遛狗或许是一天中最开心的时光 —— 他们和宠物都能放松一下。

However, for dog owners in Wenshan city in Yunnan province, walking their dog has just become more inconvenient.

然而，对于云南文山的养狗人士而言，遛狗变得更不方便了。

The city issued a notice on Oct 29 saying that dog owners are banned from walking their pets in urban areas from 7 am to 10 pm.

10月29日，该市发布通告，规定早上7时至晚上10时之间禁止遛犬。

Some people have backed the rule, saying it makes people feel safer.

一些人支持这项新规，认为这令人们更有安全感。

“It is from 7 am to 10 pm that people are very active, and banning dog walking at that time could help avoid conflicts between dogs and people,” reporter Gong Dazhong wrote for the Yangtse Evening Post.

“早上7点到晚上10点这段时间是人类活动的高峰期，禁止遛狗有助于避免人犬冲突，”记者龚大中在《扬子晚报》上写道。

Others say the rule is inconvenient for pet owners and their pets.

另一些人则认为新规为养狗人士及其宠物犬带来不便。

“Everybody’s circumstances are different, but the rule is too inflexible,” a Wenshan pet owner surnamed Zhang told The Beijing News.

“每个人的情况都不同，这个规定时间太死板了。”住在文山的宠物主人张女士在接受《新京报》采访时表示。

“I have some female friends who are single, and it’s unsafe for them to walk their dogs after 10 pm,” she said.

“我有独身女性朋友养狗的，大晚上出门遛狗，是不是也不太安全，”她说道。

The rule was introduced due to a growing number of conflicts between dog owners and pedestrians. Early this month, a dog owner in Hangzhou attacked a woman who tried to drive an unleashed dog away as it started barking at her son. A violent confrontation followed.

这一规定的出台源于狗主人与行人之间的冲突不断增加。本月初，杭州一名女性由于一条没栓绳的狗冲她儿子狂吠，对狗进行驱赶，却遭到狗主人的攻击。双方后来爆发激烈冲突。

Wang Yukai, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance in Beijing, said that while Wenshan’s rule is well-intentioned, banning dogs from being walked from 7 am to 10 pm is a bad idea.

北京国家行政学院教授汪玉凯认为，尽管文山新规是出于好意，但早上7点到晚上10点之间禁止遛狗并不妥当。

Efforts to prevent conflicts should focus on making sure that dog owners raise their dogs properly, Wang told The Beijing News. For example, dog owners should be reminded to keep their dogs on a leash and clean up their droppings.

要对这一问题进行治理，重点应落在养犬的细节治理上，汪玉凯在接受《新京报》采访时表示。例如督促狗主人遛狗牵绳、清理粪便等。

The problem isn’t unique to China. Other countries have also taken similar actions.

这一问题不光发生在中国，其他国家也采取了类似措施。

According to Shanghai Daily, in the United States, many states have laws that require dangerous dogs to be leashed. If an unleashed dog bites someone, its owner could be fined or even sent to prison.

据《上海日报》报道，美国多数州的法律规定，危险犬种必须栓绳。如果未栓绳的犬只咬伤他人，其主人将面临罚款甚至被监禁。

The Independent in London said dog owners in Berlin, Germany’s capital, must get a license to walk their pets without a leash. To get the license, dogs need to pass basic training and prove that they are manageable.

伦敦的《独立报》报道称，德国首都柏林的养狗人士必须获得许可才能不栓绳遛狗。犬只需要经过基本训练并证明可控，才能获得相关许可。