People in Shanghai are now only allowed to buy dog food for one pooch following a new ruling by the government.
Owners will be limited to having one dog per household from May, meaning that from this time, over 600,000 unlicensed dogs will be declared illegal.
Under new rules, owners will have to register their pooches with the authorities and if they fail to do so, the dog will have to be given away.
This law has been introduced to curb the number of dogs in the city, as AFP reports China's fast expanding middle class has led to a surge in the pet dog population.
According to the news provider, the government has said tighter regulations are needed as the city has experienced a surge in dog attacks, rampant barking and unscopped dog mess.
The BBC reports that over 140,000 people told police they had been bitten by an unlicensed dog in China last year.
