In rural parts of China, rabies is a real problem. Seemingly unfairly, authorities in Shanghai and other major cities are at times very aggressive in pursuing unlicensed dogs. Having a dog license means that the dog has been vaccinated against rabies (and that the owner has paid the hefty annual fee). The dog catchers can be very brazen and stern. If an owner does not have the dog license on them at the moment they’re confronted by a dog catcher, 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 dog catcher will not even allow the owner to go upstairs to fetch the license. There have been well-publicized roundups of unlicensed dogs in expat compounds. In 2008, the management at Yanlord Gardens in Pudong rolled out the red carpet for the dog catchers, who apparently had a banner day. Thank you for sharing :)