Community Matters: Pet Adoption Day

Beijing can be a little lonely if you're just getting settled in. Why not get a furry little friend to share your home with. This Saturday (Mar 26) is the 22nd Annual Beijing's Pet Adoption Day at Yuan Yang Wei Lai Guang Chang, from 2-6pm. Volunteers will be on hand to help find a home for these stray animals.

Raising a pet, though extremely fun and rewarding is a big commitment. Upon arrival if you are indeed interested in adopting, you will need to fill out some paperwork describing some simple things about your current living situation to make sure these little fellas are going to a comfortable and nurturing environment.

Here are some of the qualifications required of new owners for adopting a stray pet:

1. Please complete the adoption application and agree to a revisit from the rescue group. 

2. In order to make sure the pet is going to a stable home, we ask that you have a reliable income along with a stable place to live. 

3. Adopting pets is a family decision, so we ask that all family members give their approval. 

4. After adopting the pet, you will need to register it with the city.

5. Give the animal proper medical care including regular shots and vaccinations. 

6. Neuter the pet if needed. 

7.Will take good care of the pet and will not give it up to someone else. 

8. You will need to sign the adoption agreement and agree if necessary to revisit the rescuer.

Keep in mind that there are many responsibilities in caring for a pet here in Beijing. Last summer there was a huge crackdown on "dangerous breeds," living within the 4th ring road. There were numerous stories of dogs over the size limit of 35 cm (13 in) being confiscated from their owners. Make sure that the breed you find is allowed in your area of the city and always register your animal at the local police office and keep this registration on you whenever you take your pup out for a walk. 

For more information and location details of Pet Adoption Day, please see here; for more community events, please see the events page here.  

More community events this week:

Photo: www.groupmerge.com, courtesy event organizers

Comments

New comments are displayed first.

Hey, Thank you for blogging about this. I post the event last week and I just saw your post today. Today on the event we have some foreign friends and that is what we love to see!! Again, thanks for surpporting!

BumbleBeeTou wrote:

No. Why don't you get a damn pot plant instead, and actually go out and make friends.

It wasn't explicitly made clear if adopting an animal from these folk has any actual charges involved other than mandatory vaccinations and registration fees, but it seems clear that this is an organization made up of volunteers trying to find homes for dogs with no homes. That they care enough to ask potential recipients questions means they want a good home for them -- in fact, it seems like that's all they want. Also, these kind folks can also use your support. If you don't want to adopt a pet, you can still go to these things to help volunteer or contribute in another way.

The money thing is a type of assurance that this pets will find homes rather than be resold or meet another fate. This is China, after all.

Totally with you on the classified ads, however. It seems dodgy that so many sickly puppies are brought home during a rainstorm.

Peoples income should be the least of this organisations concern.

More important is how to ensure these animals will be looked after in the long term.

Best would be if said adopters had to submit a deposit, which can only be reclaimed if they leave and prove the animal is being taken with them.

Too often, you see ads in tbj's classifieds, looking for homes for animals which 'can't be taken with us, due to unforeseen circumstances'. Yeah, unforeseen becuase you are full of sh!t and didn't bother checking how much it would cost you to take your fair-weather-only fur buddy home with you.

thebeijinger wrote:
Why not get a furry little friend to share your home with.

No. Why don't you get a damn pot plant instead, and actually go out and make friends.

#f******muppets

The adoption is held monthly at different locations in Beijing. About 20 dogs and 20 cats for adoption are expected to be there. People who are interested can fill a form and wait to be contacted after the event.

More puppies for adoption, check out beijingkids' weekly column Puppy of the Week,which features animals from volunteer shelters, animal rescue groups, foster care providers, and pet owners needing to rehome animals.

Clemence Jiang