BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Beijing is considering drafting laws to protect "animal welfare", the first legislation of its kind on animals, reported Sunday's Beijing Youth Daily.

    The laws have included as a chapter in a regulation on animal hygiene drafted by the Beijing municipal government, which is now soliciting opinions from the Beijing citizens.

    In the chapter "animal welfare", the draft regulation lists a series of provisions to protect the welfare that should be enjoyed by animals, ranging from their life and transportation to their medical care and slaughter.

    The regulation stipulates that no one should harass, maltreat or hurt others' animals and that while carrying animals from one place to another, the vehicles used must be kept clean and animalsmust be protected from suffering shock, torture or hurt.

    If animals have to be slaughtered out of necessity, like for the sake of controlling the spread of some animal epidemic, they must be killed in a humane way that can bring them the least pain,according to the regulation.

    In addition, they must not be killed before other animals and must be isolated while being killed.

    The regulation also says that teaching experiments that could cause injury or death to animals can only be done in senior high school education or the level above.

    Meanwhile, it is not allowed to arrange a fight between animalsor between man and animals for gambling, entertainment, or some other commercial purposes.

    According to the draft regulation, those who maltreat, hurt or abandon animals and those who do not slay animals in a humane way or do not give necessary treatment to injured or sick animals willbe imposed a fine up to 10,000 yuan (about 1,209 US dollars). Enditem