A new draft dog law would limit each household to just one canine, citing Shanghai's population of 20 million people and limited living space, the official China Daily reported Thursday.

Under the policy, dog owners also must give their pets' puppies to eligible no-dog households or to government-approved adoption agencies before the pups reach three months, the newspaper said.

Dog ownership has grown alongside China's fast-expanding middle class with official estimates putting Shanghai's pet dog population at 800,000 -- although only a quarter of that number are registered, the report said.

The draft law also called for the annual licence fee to be cut to 300 yuan (45 dollars) from the current range of 1,000 to 2,000 yuan. Critics have said high fees discourage people from registering and vaccinating dogs.

The report quoted one Shanghai dog-lover as saying officials should focus on educating citizens on how to raise pets responsibly -- such as having them neutered -- instead of developing draconian measures.

"The government should improve public knowledge about how to raise a dog and how to prevent them from attacking people... instead of forcing us to raise one dog only," a resident surnamed Wang said.

The government said tighter regulation was needed due to rampant barking, unscooped waste, and the growing risk of dog attacks, which affect the city's environment and sanitation, the report said.

earlier related report
Chinese vase sells for record 43 million pounds in Britain
London (AFP) Nov 11, 2010 - An 18th-century Chinese vase discovered in a house clearance fetched a staggering 43 million pounds (69.2 million dollars, 50.7 million euros) at a London auction on Thursday.

The 16-inch (40-centimetre) Qianlong porcelain vase, which was sold by Bainbridges auctioneers, is understood to have been bought by a private Chinese buyer.

On top of the initial price, the purchaser will also have to pay 20 percent fees, bringing the grand total to an eye-watering 51.6 million pounds.

It is thought to be the highest ever price paid for a Chinese art work at auction, and has made the brother and sister who inherited the vase following its discovery in a north London suburban home instant multi-millionaires.

Helen Porter of Bainbridges said: "They had no idea what they had. They were hopeful but they didn't dare believe until the hammer went down.

"When it did, the sister had to go out of the room and have a breath of fresh air."

The vase -- decorated with a "humorous fish" motif -- was expected to fetch between 800,000 pounds and 1.2 million pounds but far exceeded the valuations as a new breed of Chinese investors look to snap up artefacts from their imperial past.

The auctioneers described the "exquisite" piece as "one of the most important Chinese vases to be offered for sale this century."

The clearance of the one-storey house -- where the vase has been residing for decades -- was undertaken by the brother and sister following the death of their parents.

It is unknown how the vase made it to Britain, but it is thought almost certain that the antique -- which dates from around 1740 -- was fired in the imperial kilns and kept in the Chinese Royal Palace.

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