17. For many dog owners, walking their pet may be one of the happiest moments in a day. It is a time to relax themselves and their pets.
However, for dog owners in Wenshan city in Yunnan province, walking their dog has just become more inconvenient.
The city announced that dog owners mustn't walk their pets in urban (城市的) areas from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Some people agree with the rule, saying it makes people feel safer.
"It is from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. that people are very active, and the rule could help avoid conflicts (冲突) between dogs and people," reporter Gong Dazhong wrote for the newspaper.
Others say the rule is inconvenient for pet owners and their pets.
"Everybody's situation is different, but the rule is too strict," a Wenshan pet owner told The Beijing News.
The rule was introduced because of the growing number of conflicts between dog owners and people walking on the street. Early this month, a dog owner in Hangzhou shouted at a woman who tried to drive an unleashed (未栓绳的) dog away as it started barking at her son. A fight followed.
Wang Yukai, a professor in Beijing, said that not allowing pet owners to walk their dogs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. is a bad idea, although Wenshan's rule is well-intentioned (好意的). Efforts to prevent conflicts should pay attention to making sure that dog owners raise their dogs properly, Wang told The Beijing News.