A new city regulation for Shanghai will have dog-related offenses registered in the owner's personal credit records, according to an announcement by the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information on August 10. The offenses include owner’s failure to obtain certificates for their pets or allow the pets to disturb other residents.
Ever since May 2011, Shanghai has required dog owners to apply for a certificate for their pets after having them vaccinated and inspected. However, a recent citywide survey revealed that nearly half of all local owners did not apply for the certificate due to the inconvenience of the process and annual fee, which varies depending on where you live.
Dog owners that live within the Inner Ring Road are to pay an annual fee of RMB500, while those in the Outer Ring Road areas pay RMB300. Residents in rural areas pay an annual fee of RMB100.
In addition, failing to have your dog vaccinated will result in a warning from the city’s animal hygiene inspection authority, and if residents still fail to comply, a fine of up to RMB1,000 will be imposed. Those who fail to vaccinate and register their dogs at the public security bureau can be fined RMB200 to RMB1,000.
A government report, however, recently found that the fines were too low to induce satisfactory compliance. Those who do comply feel cheated when their neighbors get away with failing to get the certificate. In an interview with Shanghai Daily, a Pudong resident surnamed Liu commented that she feels it is “unnecessary to waste time and money” on the process.
The Commission now plans to cooperate with the Shanghai Public Security Bureau to record dog owners’ violations in their personal credit account, which can affect the violators in many ways, including their access to bank loans. If you are a dog owner in Shanghai, we recommend you get your pet registered ASAP.
[Image via devonport.tas.gov]
