Guangzhou was the latest Chinese metropolis to ramp up their rules on dog ownership Sunday after local authorities estimated less than one out of every two canines in the city were licensed.
According to the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau, data from June 2015 shows only around 70,000 dogs were licensed in the metropolis of more than 13 million people.
It is currently estimated less than 50 percent of the city's dogs were registered, the bureau said.
The city has responded with a new set of rules that include imposing fines of up to 2,000 yuan ($360) on owners for pets with expired tags and prohibiting certain breeds deemed "dangerous," such as pit bulls and Tibetan mastiffs.
Dogs without licenses will be impounded, authorities said.
The clampdown aims to raise public awareness while addressing the increasing problem of stray dogs in the city, authorities said.
It was not reported how the animals will be dealt with once caught.
Guangzhou has been down this road before. In 2009, the city imposed a "one dog" policy on households ahead of its hosting of the Asian Games.
