Registering your dog…

Registering Dogs:

The license fee for a dog in Shanghai is 2000 RMB in the city, 1000 RMB outside of the Inner Ring Road and only 100 RMB for outside the Outer Ring Road. The license is valid for one year, after which you must reapply for a renewal of the license and pay the license fee again.

Having a dog license means that the dog has been vaccinated against rabies (and that the owner has paid the hefty annual fee). The dogcatchers can be very brazen and stern. If an owner does not have the dog license on them they are confronted by a dogcatcher, the dog is often taken. When a dog is taken, the owner is almost guaranteed never to get him or her back. In many cases, the dogcatcher will not even allow the owner to go upstairs to fetch the license. Thus, it is vital to get your dog licensed and take it with your dog at all times!

The completed paperwork should be taken to the designated police station in your district that is responsible for the handling of dog license applications. Oftentimes, there are special hours for processing dog license applications, so call ahead before you go there. You will be directed to the specific person in charge of the dog license department. Note though that you won’t find anyone there who speaks English, so it’s best to bring along a Chinese friend or colleague to help translate.

Below are the basic requirements for applying for a dog license in Shanghai.

A completed Dog License application form. Note that if you are renting an apartment in a compound, you are required to get the management company to chop the application form.

•        Dog owner’s Passport
•        Your apartment lease (if you’re renting) or proof of ownership
•        One 1” color photo of the owner and one 3” color photo of the dog (where the whole body is visible in photo)
•        Proof of work/business in Shanghai (depending which district)
•        Signatures from 3 to 4 neighbours agreeing you are having a dog (depending which district

We have the following documents available for download online. Please browse the links stated below:

 The Shanghai dog license application form available for you to download in both Chinese and English. Please note that the English dog license application form is just for your reference only since it shows the English translation for each of the form fields. You’ll need to complete the Chinese dog license application form. It’s best to have a friend or colleague who can read and write Chinese to help you fill the form.

Click here to go to the website for detailed information on the dog license application process. However, you’ll have to get a Chinese friend to translate for you as it’s only in Chinese:

** Thank you Lovestorage Box for providing the information above **

Pet-in-Shanghai (www.petinshanghai.com) offers assistance with the dog license application process. You can contact Sabrina Feng directly at 137 6146 7251 for more details.