Following on from the conference in Dalian, it is noteworthy to acknowledge the collaboration between ourselves and many other welfare groups with the authorities across China over the past few years, which have led to significant progress for dogs and cats across the country.

To date, we've launched three China Dog Ownership Management Symposiums and seen officials from a whole host of cities joining these workshops and discussing better ways to share our lives humanely and harmoniously with dogs. Cities include Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Dalian, Tianjin, Jilin, Harbin, Jinan, Changsha, Xi'an, Mianyang, Guangyuan, Kunming, Luoyang, Nanning, Qinhuangdao, Nanjing, Xuzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou, Zhuhai, Shijiazhuang, Suzhou, Zhengzhou, and Nanchang.

Many city governments have now formulated notable regulations for their dog ownership management work - some of which are very briefly summarised here:

In Chengdu, village committees are encouraged to work more responsibly with the authorities on public education programmes, and guardians are not allowed to abuse or abandon their dogs. Here, where our China bear rescue sanctuary operates, Animals Asia also works closely with the Chengdu authorities, launching a wide range of events in the local communities across the city.

In massive progress, the Guangzhou authorities have drastically reduced their dog management fees, and dog owners now only have to pay RMB500 in the first year compared with RMB10,000 previously, and RMB300 in the years after that compared with RMB6000 before! This is clearly seeing more people responsibly registering their dogs. The Public Security Bureaus (PSB's) are asked to set up dog shelters and encourage citizens to join adoption programmes for the rescued animals - and here again people are no longer permitted to abuse or abandon their dogs. A new dog shelter is under construction and will later be open to the public to promote dog adoption.

In Harbin, amongst many other developments, owners of desexed dogs pay just half of the management fees, and the PSB's entrust local animal welfare groups to rescue and care for stray dogs. Dog fighting is banned, with strict penalties and confiscations if they occur.

In Xi'an, where so many initiatives are in place to help dogs, social organisations and volunteer groups are also encouraged to participate in dog management activities, and the blind and disabled who keep guide dogs and assistance dogs are exempted from paying management fees.

In Shanghai, where they also adopt many of the above initiatives, the animal protection organisations and other NGOs are also authorised to conduct shelter and adoption work with the approval of the PSBs, and this is encouraged by the PSBs who can pay the organisations to fulfil their supervisory responsibilities.

In Nanning, several strong regulations protecting dogs also exist, and in Chongqing, the blind and disabled who keep guide dogs, together with dog owners who are elderly with no family, are exempt from management service fees.

Last but not least, in Dalian, where the conference was hosted by the wonderful PSB officials, the Dalian Dog Management Office has developed an impressive dog shelter, which is built to the highest humane and scientific standards and guarantees all the dogs’ welfare. They also work superbly well with the local animal protection groups, holding Open Days to attract public attention - and dog registration is totally free!

With so much progress in so many cities, it's clear why Animals Asia and so many other NGOs in China continue encouraging conferences, events, public education programmes, and many other initiatives to keep the work - and humane treatment of companions animals - moving ever forward.