Dog owners in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, will be punished if their pets are found without registration or in violation of management rules, according to the city's police authority.

Public security, urban management, and industrial and commercial authorities in the city have launched a campaign against irresponsible dog ownership. The campaign, which is expected to last until the end of this year, aims to further regulate dog owners.

According to the police, owners will be warned if their pets are not registered, found without leads, or if their enclosures are not cleaned.

Owners will be further punished if they do not get their pets registered within three days after being found in violation of the rules, according to police.

The city's industrial and commercial department will also inspect pet markets, and punish traders without licenses or those running illegal businesses.

The campaign follows an increasing number of complaints filed recently regarding irresponsible pet owners.

According to local police, the registered number of dogs is not as high as expected because the city's regulations and rules for dog owners took effect in 2009. Under the regulations, an owner could be fined 2,000 yuan ($300) for having more than one dog. The city's dog registration fee is 500 yuan.

The city has dealt with more than 200 dog-related cases, 70 percent of which related to owners failing to fulfill their responsibilities, according to the police.

Dog owners are often found failing to clean up their pets' feces, failing to keep dogs on leads and failing to take measures to prevent barking in public places, the police said.

"Improper dog management has been blamed for the spread of diseases such as rabies, which breaks out frequently in the city," said Peng Peng, a researcher at the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences.

According to Peng, dog registrations could be effective in preventing dog-related diseases.

"It is of great importance to implement the regulations to keep the dog population at a realistic number, as they will pose threats to public security," Peng said.

Li Pan, a Guangzhou native, also supports the campaign, saying the rule will help better regulate dog ownership.

"After registration, the dogs will have identity cards. They will be easily found if they are lost," said Li, 35, who has kept a dog since 2015.

Liang Fengxin contributed to this story.

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