The China Teaching Web

Dear Jean,

I have a spacious apartment in Central China which simply seems too empty. I have tried to find someone to join me but to no avail. I talked to the apartment owner last week and she told me that I could have a dog stay with me as long as it is small. I was thrilled. Growing up, I had many dogs and the chance to have one in China is exciting.

There is almost always a man selling puppies just across the street from my apartment. He crams them into two small cages and I have feel so sorry for them. I have wanted to buy one for a long time and I am wondering what you think about the idea?

Thanks For Your Help,

Sally in Wuhan

Jean Response to Sally’s Question

Dear Sally,

Thank you for your question. Many foreigners have found that China is a great place to own a pet and I hope that you are able to find a furry companion for your big place. Unfortunately, the street is probably the worst place in China to go looking for a puppy. I recently heard from a Chinese friend who is familiar with the sale of these ’street’ dogs that they are given an injection to make them appear lively for customers. Actually, most of these puppies are very sick and will probably not survive a week with its new owner. This explains their ridiculously low price tags. Like you, I have always felt very sorry for these animals which are not fed enough or cared for properly. I wish that we could do something about their plights but presently in China, there are really no laws on the books dealing with animal rights. Even if there were, it is unlikely that they would be enforced considering all the other problems that China has in this intense era of development.

The best way to find a dog that is healthy is to visit your local veterninarian or to ask your friends about local breeders. You will pay more money but believe me when I say that it will be worth it.

Our own Robert Vance has had some bad luck with puppies in the past and even wrote about it in an article aptly named My Bad Luck with Puppies in China. You might want to check out that article for more details about the pitfalls of buying puppies on the street.

Sincerely,

Jean

Ask Jean about China is a weekly feature on TeachAbroadChina.com. We welcome any questions related to living and working in China. Feel free to submit your questions by clicking here. We look forward to hearing from you.