Shenzhen plans to implant microchips in all the city’s dogs by the end of the year

The chip will contain information like the name and contact information of its owner

While humans have voiced many concerns about China’s “dystopian” surveillance practices, the ones who should really be complaining are the canines.

Shenzhen has announced plans to implant microchips on all dogs registered in the city by the end of this year.

The microchip is only about the size of a rice grain. It is placed underneath the dog’s skin between the shoulder blades in a procedure that only takes a few seconds.

That chip can then be scanned to obtain information like the name and breed of the dog along with the name and contact information of its owner.

Authorities estimate that there are more than 200,000 dogs in the city, of which about 90 percent are registered. So, local veterinarians are presumably going to be quite busy for the next few months.

Those dogs without microchips by the end of the year will be considered unlicensed dogs.

While the move may be a serious blow to the animals’ privacy. Dogs in Shenzhen can at least take solace in the fact that the city recently became the first in China to ban the eating of their kind.