In recent reports it has been indicated that North Korean households with dogs have been forced to handover their pets to authorities, who consider them to be a sign of Western decadence.

Horrible as this might be, sometimes I feel like Macau authorities are just one step away from banning or confiscating any pet dog in the city, taking into account the general attitude of local municipal authorities towards them.

Full conflict of interest disclosure: I do own a dog.

In general dog ownership in the city is a troublesome and arduous affair.

First of all, the fact that public transport does not allow taking pets on board, no matter how small they are, and taxis also refuse to carry them, its almost mandatory to own a car to be able to provide a decent quality of life to your pet in terms of carrying them with you.

Moreover, available green areas in the city are scarce, and most public parks do not allow dogs to enter.

In most cases, dog owners, especially in the Macau Peninsula area, are forced to either have their dogs do their business in depressingly small enclosed areas packed with dogs, or just walk along trafficked sidewalks.

In some cases, the pet dogs ban in some green areas is just outright absurd. Take for example the Cotai riverside bicycle and walking lanes, one of the only available decent public areas ion that side of the city.

Meters and meters of grass completely out of bounds for any canine, unless its one of the dozens of stray dogs who make the Cotai construction sites part of the local ecosystem, it seems their home.

Maybe having no owner ensures a better life quality for local dogs, since the same takes place on local beaches, mostly also out of bounds for any pet dog.

It is hard to comprehend why civil and respectful dog owners, who hold their dogs on a leash and take care of their droppings, are not allowed in basically any public green area of this city.

Sometimes even hiking trails, one of the only options for people to go on a leisure weekend stroll with their dog, are out of bounds.

A citys life quality is not only measured by how well gardens are kept and how well sidewalks are kept clean and tidy, but also by the good sense of its municipal regulations.

Unfortunately, in some cases the hassles of having a dog lets not even talk of the options available for taking pets outside Macau can even lead some despicable people to just abandon them and stop bothering.

Then theres the already horrible fact that a third of all stray dogs and cats collected by municipal authorities last year and that failed to be claimed ended up being put down.

Its sad, but it does happen, so it would be nicer to see municipal authorities have a more tolerant attitude towards the local four-legged furry city inhabitants.

After all, in these difficult times, they are working overtime to keep the mental health of their owners in check. Its only fair we also take care of theirs.

[MNA Editor-in-Chief]

Read more here:
OPINION - It's a dog's world - Macau Business