Getting a Pet in Shanghai - Shanghai Expat - Living and Working in Shanghai

on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 10:54 AM AST - 9318 Reads

by Jaseta

For all of you who have a dear hamster, gorilla or rhino in your home country that are just waiting to be reunited with their family in Shanghai...or those who want to buy a beloved little animal here in Shanghai, and take it home with you when you leave... This article presents the most pertinent information about China's animal registration laws.

Dogs :

Let's start with a few words about man's best friend. With the exception of birds, dogs are the most popular pets in China. All dogs, whether bought locally or imported from outside China after going through a full quarantine, are required by law to be licensed. Foreign nationals, regardless of whether or not they are holding a residents' permit, cannot register the dog themselves, it must be registered using the ID Card of a local Chinese. Application forms (which are in Chinese) must be completed and accompanied by three photographs: One of the dog's face, one side view of the dog and one passport-sized photograph of the owner.

Dog licence prices vary depending on where you live; the city is divided into two areas for this purpose: That which is within the Inner Ring Road and that which is outside. Residents within the Inner Ring Road pay more. The current price to register a dog is RMB 2000. People in the outer ring road are a bit luckier; they pay only half that: RMB 1000.

Bringing Your Pets from Overseas:

If you want to import your pet to Shanghai, there is -- you guessed it -- a lot of paperwork to wade through. The first two documents you'll run across are the Vaccination Certificate (depending on which type of animal you own, it might consist of multiple vaccination certificates), and the Health Certificate.

The Vaccination Certificate certifies that all of the animal's required vaccinations are up to date. An important detail to bear in mind here: 3-year rabies vaccinations are apparently not recognized in China, so all vaccinations must be had no sooner than 30 days before departure. The Health Certificate must be issued by a licensed veterinarian in your home country. There is no standard form for China, so your veterinarian should use the international certificate and issue it no sooner than 30 days prior to your departure. Better make sure to obtain multiple copies, as you'll also need copies for your airline.

As the local requirements of your origin countries vary, it's best check with your local vet or government department on how to get these documents. You're warmly advised to also get a (simplified) Chinese translation of the documents in your home country to help reduce delay upon arrival of your pet. If you're not sure where to get certified/official translations, ask the Chinese Embassy in your country to help or provide details of a translator in your area. Make sure that the translations are certified copies. Once you have these, you're a step closer to bringing over your pet. But we're not quite there yet.

When you arrive in Shanghai you will have to declare your pet at the Customs Department. Bring your pet, fee and certificates to the Customs and Immigration Plant and Quarantine office at the Pudong airport, which is located before the Customs exit. You will be charged RMB 150, the certificates will be examined and customs will give you a stamped document allowing you to bring your pet in for a quarantine period of 30 days. Don't panic: you can usually keep your pet with you at home for the 30 days. During the quarantine period, quarantine officers will come and inspect your pet, and you'll be charged a "nominal fee" for these visits. Assuming a "clean" bill of health for your pet after the quarantine period, your pet is now welcome to stay in Shanghai! If you need to deal with additional quarantine issues once you leave the airport, the city office is the Animal and Plant Quarantine Bureau (Dong Zhi Wu Jian Yi Ju), No. 13 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road (phone: +86 21 6586 3030).

Don't forget to register your dog with your own registration at the local police station. This involves, of course, the matter of the Chinese ID mentioned before. If you're renting, the best advice is to ask your landlord to come with you, or provide a copy of his/her ID for the registration of your dog. If your Chinese is poor or non-existent, better insist that he or she come along. The Chinese documents really are a drag, and although there are more and more Shanghainese police officers who master the English language, you'll still have to be pretty lucky to catch one of them in the office to take your case. It's a landlord's duty to accompany you, don't let him/her try to talk you out of it. But if you have a Shanghainese friend or colleague who doesn't mind joining you and being your dog's guardian, it's your choice.

If you want to export your pet from Shanghai, you should take it to No. 361 Zhaojiabang Road, near the intersection of Damuqiao Road (phone: 6418-9236) to have any and all required immunizations performed and it should be done one month in advance. The cost is around RMB 150. If the pet passes the health check-up there, the shop assistants will issue a health certificate to you. The cost of the certificate is around RMB 300. With all the documents prepared, you can go to the Shanghai Customs Bureau for an English version of the certificate. Just ask the people of the Zhaojiabang Road immunization clinic for information; they'll guide you through the whole thing after you take your pet there.

If you're looking for a pet to fill the empty hours, here are three pet shops I can recommend:

The Shanghai Naughty Family Pet Company, located at No. 2293 Hongqiao Road, near Chenjiaqiao (phone: 6268-7400), is the oldest pet shop in Shanghai. The shop specializes in dogs; among the many breeds we spotted were Toy Poodles, Japanese Spitz, Chihuahua, Schnauzer, Shihtzu and Pekinese.

The Shanghai Pet Market, at No. 5 Caodongsan Road, near Caoxi Park in Xuhui District (phone: 6482-0158), is the best choice if you're not looking to overspend, as it offers dogs, cats and birds at a lower price. It's one of the cleanest, but still a typical Chinese market, so be sure to trust only your own eyes and judgment. Some shop keepers won't hesitate to try and cheat you with a sickly pet, always reassuring you that "this is a special pure breed." Don't believe them, and do some research to find out what a fair price is for the pet you're looking for. If you think it's too high, better start unpacking your best bargaining skills.

If you want a well-trained dog, the Jialiang K-9 Kennels Shanghai specializes in breeding, training and selling dogs. They've got two addresses, one in Puxi, called Vanke Branch. Its location is No. 3333 Qixin Road, at the exit Gate of Vanke City Garden (phone: 6419-1804) The Pudong shop is at No. 1858 Sanlu Road, in Minghang District.