Park miscreants in Beijing face being placed on bureau's blacklist

In mid-July, the Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau banned people from walking dogs in the capital's parks and gardens, citing such behavior as "uncivilized".

Those who breach the regulation are placed on a blacklist.

Being placed on the list could soon affect residents' points-based application system for hukou, or household registration, according to a draft regulation considered by the Beijing Municipal People's Congress last month.

Liu Tao, deputy director of the bureau's park management office, said visitors, including those walking dogs, often unconsciously breach the regulations and sometimes seriously affect the running of parks.

"We're trying to prevent such behavior, including refusing entry if dog owners fail to clear up after their animals, to ensure that they don't annoy other visitors," he said.

However, the blacklist had largely had "no real effect", and only the involvement of urban management departments might change the situation, Liu said.

He added that 90 percent of the capital's parks are free to visit and any illegal behavior goes unchecked.

Wang Jingbo, professor of law at the China University of Political Science and Law, called for more specific regulations to be introduced for dog ownership, especially local laws.

Civil liability after any illegal behavior by dog owners should be clarified, Wang said, stressing that the law should be enforced more rigorously.

She suggested that communities and social organizations arrange regular activities in which dog owners can take part, as these could play an important role in regulating behavior.

A degree of intervention by officials is needed, but a joint body is also required to act as a coordinator between different groups, Wang added.