Chinese county kills 50,000 dogs in rabies campaign

A county in southwestern China has killed as many as 50,000 dogs in a government-ordered campaign following the deaths of three local people from rabies, official media reported today.

The five-day massacre in Yunnan province’s Mouding county that ended on Sunday spared only military guard dogs and police canine units, the Shanghai Daily reported, citing local media.

Dogs being walked were taken from their owners and beaten to death on the spot, it said.

Other killing teams entered villages at night creating noise to get dogs barking, then homing in on their prey. Owners were offered five yuan (34p) per animal to kill their own dogs before the teams were sent in, it said.

The nearly indiscriminate brutality of the campaign drew fire from critics in the press, while the United Nations’ World Health Organisation said more effort had to put on prevention.

According to Shanghai Daily, about 360 of the county’s 200,000 residents suffered dog bites this year, with three reported deaths, including a four-year-old girl, the report said.