[UPDATE: 11/19] Hangzhou officials deny beating, torturing dogs during city’s harsh canine crackdown

After a mother was beaten up on the street in Hangzhou by a dog owner earlier this month, city officials have now launched a particularly harsh crackdown on canines, drawing cries of outrage and protest from animal lovers online.

According to the city’s new pet regulations, dog walking is now only permissible before 7 am in the morning and after 7 pm at night. When walking their dogs, owners are ordered to quickly clean up after their pets and stay away from any public spaces, such as parks or markets. Obviously, leashes are also required.

Those who violate any of these rules can be fined up to 1,000 yuan ($144) and have their dog license revoked. The penalties are even harsher for those caught with unregistered dogs. They can be fined as much as 10,000 yuan ($1,440) and also have their pets taken away.

Furthermore, officials have released a list of 34 dog breeds which are illegal to own in the city. They are:

Tibetan Mastiff, Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa, Central Asian Shepherd Dog, Chinese Chongqing Dog, Borzoi, Bull Terrier, English Mastiff, Cane Corso, Great Dane, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Neapolitan Mastiff, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Afghan Hound, Pointer, Weimaraner, Bloodhound, Basenji, Bulldog, Akita, Newfoundland, Bedlington Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Irish Setter, Greyhound, German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Dobermann, Belgian Shepherd, Boxer, Chinese Rural Dog, and any mixed breeds of the aforementioned

The campaign began on Thursday and is slated to be in full force until the end of the year. Almost immediately, disturbing photos and videos began appearing on Chinese social media of chengguan, China’s hated public security officers, capturing, beating, and even drowning stray dogs.

I can’t believe this. HangZhou Dog Massacre started yesterday! Dogs without a valid permit will be caught and brought to justice! Spread the news and let the world know about this cruel act! You can make a difference! #chinanews #china #CrimesAgainstHumanity #AnimalCruelty #China pic.twitter.com/qVkjXejuJt — Miims (@missymiimo) November 15, 2018

Meanwhile, reports have also circulated of officers actually going into residents homes to check to make sure that their dogs are registered.

The incident that set off this crackdown occurred on November 2nd when a mother in Hangzhou was taking her two children for a walk. On the street, a small unleashed dog started to harass her son and the woman shooed it away with a kick, resulting in the dog owner beating her up on the street in front of her kids.

While stray dog culls and harsh pet restrictions are nothing new in China, Hangzhou appears to be at the crest of a wave of new strict pet laws in the country. Recently, the Shandong capital of Jinan made headlines by implementing a social credit score system for dog owners — enough infractions and their furry friends get taken away —while the Yunnan city of Wenshan has placed a ban on dog walking between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm.

With general support from the public, who are tired of all-too-frequent urban dog attacks, it seems likely that more and more cities will begin to follow Hangzhou’s lead. New dog restrictions go into effect today in the Sichuan capital of Chengdu, which has banned 22 types of dogs.