August 18, 2008

SHANGHAI, China -- Eager to greet guests, Sam the golden retriever raced from a spare bedroom, down the hallway, and almost tackled this reporter. The breed’s friendliness and active nature are among the many reasons why they’re so popular in America.

“He’s my first dog,” said Sam’s owner, Rebecca Yu as Sam’s excited tail whacked a ceramic knick-knack on a nearby coffee table.

“I take him out, I feed him, play with him … I even talk to him!” she said with a laugh.

But in city like Shanghai, where spacious homes are a luxury that’s out of reach for most Chinese, Sam’s attractiveness is diminished here. He’s among the happy -- and lucky -- few that enjoys a loving home in one of China’s most popular cities for pets.

Pet ownership is relatively new in Shanghai, according to Jaycee Koo of Second Chance Animal Aid Shanghai, a private non-profit that finds foster and permanent homes for dogs.

“For the last couple years, people started to own pets,” Koo said. “People are not generally very wealthy to buy a pet. If they don’t have food for the table, they’re not going to buy a pet.”

“Only in recent years because the country is more prosperous, people have more food on the table, and it’s considered a luxury to have a pet, that’s why they start to buy pets,” Koo said.

City officials estimate 700,000 pet dogs are registered, but Koo believes the true number of pet dogs is much higher. She estimates 80 percent of dog owners don’t buy a license for their pet because of the expense: approximately $250, which is the equivalent to one month of the average Shanghai salary.

Koo, who owns a Jack Russell Terrier and is fostering a small mutt, said smaller dogs are much more popular. But problems arise when new pet owners buy large dogs as puppies, without doing their research. She pointed to the popularity of huskies shortly after the 2006 movie “Eight Below.”

“They look at a puppy because it’s cute, not knowing that when they’re a year or two years old, they can be huge. And most local people in Shanghai live in very small houses and apartments, therefore there’s no way they can keep such a large dog,” she said.

So pet owners either give the dog away, or put them out on the street hoping someone will adopt them or pick them up, according to Koo. “It’s very said, but, that’s the way it is,” she added, shaking her head.

That’s why SCAA often has more large dogs up for adoption or fostering than smaller dogs. The group often provides presentations at schools and the community to educate citizens about the benefits of pet ownership.

She hopes raising awareness and the continuing development of the Shanghai economy will lead to more happy -- forever -- homes for large dogs, like Sam.

For more information about Second Change Animal Aid Shanghai, visit scaashanghai.org.

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