The order maps out nine separate regions within the Chinese Capital where the new rules will take effect. Each household will be limited to a single dog and owners of dogs that have not been registered with authorities are subject to legal penalties.

While not defined, so-called "dangerous and large dogs" will be banned under the new rules, according to Xinhua. The regulations require all dogs in the effected areas to be inoculated "regularly." In areas outside the metro Beijing zones large and dangerous dogs will be allowed but they are not permitted in public and they must be restrained or locked-up at all times.

It will now also be a crime to abandon a dog and all dogs in public places must be on a leash and led by an adult.

In an earlier article, Xinhua claimed that animal control authorities had "found" some 8,961 unlicensed dogs to date in 2006. Of that number, 831 were determined to be strays.

The news agency states that the first three quarters of 2006 has also seen a 29.69 percent increase in the number of rabies cases nationwide. Of those 2,254 cases, it is unclear how many were linked to dog bites and how many were due to other sources of infection.

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