Question 3.1 - Summary · Inglés PAU Galicia Extraordinaria (2ª lengua extranjera) 2021

TEXT B

In a southwestern corner of China, walking a dog can potentially get the animal killed by the authorities. After receiving complaints of dogs biting children in Yunnan Province, officials have said they would ban dog walking and put in place a harsh penalty system.

For pet owners who flouted the ban, the first strike would be a warning. Caught a second time, they would be fined. For a third offense, their dogs would be seized and killed, according to the new rules, and apparently regardless of the dogs’ behavior. The ban is set to take effect next week.

The penalties are part of a regional effort to “correct uncivilized dog ownership in urban areas,” “Residents must keep dogs tied up or in a cage. Dogs should not disrupt the normal order of society or interfere with the daily life of others.”

When the notice began circulating on Chinese social media, it set off howls of outrage and fierce debate across the country, angering animal lovers and racking up thousands of comments and 100 million views on Weibo, a microblogging platform. Many called the new regulations cruel and extreme. “Why on earth should they be killed?” a user wrote on Monday. “What did the dogs do wrong?” She added that even though she supported stricter punishments for irresponsible dog owners, she objected to the idea that the animals could not be walked in public at all.

Others said that specific rules on dog walking — such as keeping pets leashed and picking up after them — would be far more appropriate and effective. A few people online voiced support for the regulations, saying that society has too often placed animal rights over human rights.

3.1. Write a summary of the text in English, including the most important points, using your own words. (approximately 50 words; 0.75 points).