All Dogs in Shenzhen Will Soon Have Microchips

By Phoebe Kut, June 14, 2019

Attention Shenzhen dog owners! Your playful pup will need to have a microchip implanted under their skin, according to the Shenzhen City Management and Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau. In a Weibo post last week, the bureau announced that they would start implanting grain-sized microchips in dogs by next year.

The benefits touted by the program are two-fold. First off, if your pup ever goes missing it will be easier to find them and the data from their outdoor excursions will be collected in a central database. Secondly, the program will ensure that dog owners take full responsibility for their pets, as owning a pet is a privilege.

Feng Zengjun, a spokesperson for the bureau told Xinhua that the microchip will be implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades and can migrate through the pet’s body without harming our furry friends.

Shenzhen has launched multiple initiatives over the past year to tighten pet regulations. In May, the city required dog owners to register their pets, and next month there is expected to be a crackdown on undocumented dogs (here’s our handy guide on how to register your dog in Shenzhen). The city has bold plans to eliminate stray dogs within the next three years by capturing and sterilizing them, as well as putting them up for adoption.

Nationwide regulations are being put in place to foster responsible pet ownership. If dogs are outside, they must be kept on leash, and be sure to poop and scoop if your dog does the deed. Responsible pet ownership programs have been introduced in China since the early 1990s, with Shanghai, Beijing and Wuhan leading the way.

However, there are still reports of animal abuse and undocumented dogs in Shenzhen. In January, a man was caught placing poisoned sausages inside a Nanshan residential community in an apparent attempt to poison dogs. Other cases have involved baiting dogs by enclosing fishhooks inside pieces of food.

China reportedly still has the second highest number of rabies cases in the world.

[Cover image via Pixabay]