Some swimmers were recently spotted swimming alongside their pet dogs in the river in Hankou, Wuhan city of central China's Hubei province. The scene led to a number of complaints from other swimmers in the area.
Local news portal "cnhubei.com" received many complaints, including one from a young lady surnamed Zheng who said she was worried about being injured by the dogs while she attempted to swim laps.
Even if the pet dogs do not approach swimmers, many people still worry about infectious diseases which result from the dogs swimming in the water, explains Zheng.
Taking pet dogs for a swim is also supposed to be fun. The news website reported that one swimmer ordered his dog to retrieve an empty water bottle which he threw into the distance, much to the amusement of many others who were standing on the river bank.
Peng Kemei, professor on medical science related to animals with Huazhong Agricultural University advises that preventive efforts should be made as soon as pet owners lead their dogs into the water, as 80 percent of the bacteria that a dog carries can be transmitted to humans through water.
Professor Peng also warns that bacteria from dogs will float in the water and may spread diseases.
Liu Chongshun, another expert with Wuhan city's Academy of Social Sciences, believes that allowing dogs to swim in the water alongside owners adversely affects public morals and social order.
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