What’s on Weibo
15th October 2016
More Awareness For Guide Dogs in China, But Still a Long Way To Go
Chinese media and social media users are creating more awareness on guide dogs and service dog etiquette in China. But with very few available assistance dogs and many misconceptions about them, there are a lot of hurdles to overcome for guide dogs to become more common in the PRC.
By Manya Koetse
Chinese media and social media users are creating more awareness on guide dogs and service dog etiquette in China. But with very few available assistance dogs and many misconceptions about them, there are a lot of hurdles to overcome before guide dogs can become more common in the PRC.
“Do not disturb guide dogs,” Chinese state broadcaster CCTV posted on Sina Weibo on October 15. Raising awareness of service dog etiquette, the news outlet shared several infographics and warned people not to feed guide dogs or deny them entrance.
“Do not call out to guide dogs,” CCTV writes: “They are at work. Do not touch or feed service dogs or guide dogs for the blind. They are not pets. They’re working dogs who have gone through strict training. Please don’t distract them.”
People’s Daily also paid attention to service dogs in a post on October 15 in celebration of World Sight Day, honoring the tough job guide dogs do.
Getting a guide dog is simply unattainable for many people in China.
As of May 2015, service dogs are accepted in Beijing’s public transport. But since the phenomenon of guide dogs (导盲犬) is relatively new to China, general knowledge on service dog etiquette is often lacking.