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THE citizens of Shanghai have taken to chucking their dead pets into rubbish bins and rivers or laying them to rest in public parks, sparking a health scare. Officials warned in the state press last week that the corpses might harbour bacteria that could find their way into the water supply.

Pets are becoming increasingly popular in the crowded city, which now hosts a population of more than 200,000 dogs and cats. But the official pet crematorium is 80 kilometres from the city centre, and has no direct bus service. Only two dead dogs and one cat have…

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