Guide dogs for foreigners attending the Beijing Paralympic Games will enjoy easy entry into China, as local authorities have promised streamlined quarantine procedures.

Every blind foreign national will be allowed to bring one such dog to China during the Games, which will be held from September 6-17, an official with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Inspection and Quarantine said on Friday.

Dogs won't be quarantined if their owners provide certificates of good health and current rabies vaccinations, as well as proof of training as a guide dog, said Chong Yan.

Overseas animals usually face a 30-day quarantine in China.

"Necessary" quarantine measures will be taken for dogs without those certificates, but they will be as convenient as possible, Chong said. For example, a dog without a rabies vaccination certificate will be vaccinated at the airport.

Quarantine staff will keep in contact with owners to monitor the dogs' health while in China, Chong said.

About 4,000 disabled athletes from around the world will compete in the 13th Paralympic Games, which opens about two weeks after the end of the 2008 Olympic Games.

(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2008)