About three months ago, in Hanzhong, Shanxi Province, the local government killed more than 34000 stray dogs (流浪狗) . The officials were afraid that the dogs would spread rabies (狂犬病) . The action caused a debate across the country. Some people said that it was very cruel to kill dogs. There might be a better way to prevent the disease. In the future, killing stray dogs might be seen as a crime . Last month, the Chinese government published a draft of animal rights law . It says that a person who kills a stray dog without good reason will be put in prison . The draft also says that animal abuse and abandoning animals will be considered crimes under the crimes law. The government published the draft so that the public could read it and discuss their thoughts. People shared different opinions. Some think the law is good. They say other countries such as Britain and Japan have similar laws. They say we will do better at protecting animals if there is one. But others say it ’ s not necessary to flight animal abuse with a new law. Criticisms and fines can do the job. Some people also say that the draft doesn ’ t deal with the biggest issues facing the country ’ s development. The country should make progress to give all people equal rights , they say, before turning attention to animals. Another part of the draft is causing discussion. It says that people should not force animals to do something dangerous, like jumping through a ring of fire. But many people enjoy watching this kind of performance at the circus , especially kids. They say that if the animal does it properly , it will not get hurt.