All dogs face a death sentence in Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, China.The city issued a new rule on Wednesday, providing if anyone is caught with a dog in the urban area, they not only have to stand to see the dog killed, but also pay a fine of up to 200 yuan ($29).

Boxun reported that the rule was issued only because a high-ranking local party official was attacked by a dog when he was walking in the urban area. Local citizens, particularly dog owners, felt sorry for their dogs and angry at the government. Han Han, a famous blogger, also reported about the dog-bit-party-secretary event, and felt lucky that the secretary were not a higher ranking party leader from Beijing, “if he were promoted to Beijing, we would not stand a chance of living any more.” 

According to China Daily, an official of Heihe’s public security bureau, who declined to be named, said, “Dog excrement is found in many areas … posing a serious challenge to our goal of building up a clean and beautiful city.” (China Daily 05/23/2009 page3)

Activists said Heihe is using “the most cruel and violent method” to deal with dogs, instead of seeking constructive ways to accommodate them. (China Daily 05/23/2009 page3)