How to Choose a Large Pet Import Agency? What Are the Key Points of Compliant Customs Clearance?

2026 Large Pet Imports: Compliance Pain Points of European and North American Sources

In 2026,the import demand for large pets (such as purebred horses,large working dogs,giant rabbits,etc.) in Shanghai’s high-end pet market increased by 18% year-on-year.Many domestic pet breeding institutions and equestrian clubs have begun to import these pets in bulk from Europe (Germany,the Netherlands) and North America (Canada,the United States) to supplement bloodline diversity.However,most enterprises are stuck at the "compliance threshold": some have invalid documents due to missing signatures on the health certificates of the exporting country,some cannot enter the port due to expired isolation field registration,and there have even been cases where goods were required to be destroyed because the vaccine brand was not on the access list.

As a Shanghai-based foreign trade agency with over 20 years of experience,Zhongshen has built a full-chain service system from pre-review to release tailored to the particularities of large pet imports,helping many enterprises avoid these pitfalls.

Zhongshen: Core Service Logic for Large Pet Imports

Large pet imports differ from ordinary goods,with the core being "animal safety + compliance pre-positioning".Once a link goes wrong,not only will the goods be returned or destroyed,but the enterprise’s subsequent import qualifications may also be affected.Zhongshen’s services focus on "pre-risk prevention": reviewing all documents 15 days in advance,locking the designated isolation field 7 days in advance,and completing customs declaration pre-declaration 3 days in advance to ensure rapid customs clearance after the goods arrive at the port.

Full Process Breakdown: Key Nodes of Large Pet Imports

1.Document Pre-review: Pass the "First Access Barrier"

The document requirements for large pet imports are more than 3 times stricter than those for ordinary goods.The official documents of the exporting country need to meet two core conditions: "dual signature + access list".Zhongshen’s document team will focus on checking the following documents:

• Official animal health certificate of the exporting country (needs dual signatures from the chief veterinarian and authorized veterinarian,and must be translated into Chinese and notarized)
• Rabies vaccine vaccination certificate (the vaccine brand must be on China’s ,and the vaccination period shall be 30 days to 1 year)
• Large pet bloodline certificate (issued by internationally recognized institutions such as FCI,required by some countries)
• Import quota application form (for varieties requiring quotas such as horses,applications must be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in advance)

In 2025,an equestrian club imported 5 warmblood horses from the Netherlands.When docking independently,the goods were returned by the customs because the health certificate was missing the signature of the chief veterinarian.After finding Zhongshen,Manager Lv’s team assisted the supplier in resending the notarized dual-signature certificate and coordinated with the customs to re-declare,ultimately saving about 120,000 yuan in detention fees and return freight.

2.Port Customs Declaration: Connect "Green Channel" for Efficiency Improvement

Large pets must be declared within 72 hours after arriving at the port,and the registration certificate of the designated isolation field in Shanghai must be provided (only 3 isolation fields in Shanghai have the qualification for large pet isolation in 2026).Enterprises that declare customs on their own often incur detention fees due to untimely coordination of isolation fields,while Zhongshen’s customs declaration team has established a green channel with the Shanghai Port Customs:

In February 2026,a Shanghai pet breeding enterprise imported 8 large Alaskan dogs from Canada,but was unable to enter the port due to expired isolation field registration.Zhongshen’s isolation field liaison specialist updated the registration for the enterprise within 1 day,and coordinated with the customs to prioritize declaration.The goods entered the isolation field smoothly within 48 hours after arrival,without any detention fees incurred.

3.Commodity Inspection and Quarantine: Follow Up the "30-Day Isolation" Process

Large pets must be isolated in the designated isolation field for 30 days after arriving at the port,and three core quarantine procedures must be completed during this period:

• Daily clinical examination (records of body temperature,appetite,and mental status,which must be submitted to the quarantine station in real time)
• Serological test (rabies antibody test,which must be completed in a designated laboratory,with a result of ≥0.5IU/ml)
• Parasite test (fecal sample test,which must exclude parasites prohibited from entering China such as ticks and fleas)

In 2025,an enterprise imported 2 Great Danes from Australia.An abnormal body temperature was found on the 10th day of isolation.Zhongshen’s quarantine specialist immediately coordinated with the quarantine station to add tests for canine distemper and parvovirus.After excluding the epidemic,the team helped the enterprise supplement the health monitoring records,and finally passed the quarantine smoothly,avoiding the loss of goods being returned.

Case: Full Import Process of 6 Hanoverian Horses

In March 2026,a Shanghai equestrian club planned to import 6 Hanoverian horses from Germany,and originally planned to import them independently,but encountered two problems: first,the health certificate provided by the German supplier only had the signature of the authorized veterinarian,without the signature of the chief veterinarian; second,the enterprise’s previous isolation field registration had expired.

After finding Zhongshen,Manager Lv’s team did three things:

• Assist the German supplier in resending the health certificate with dual signatures from the chief veterinarian and complete the Chinese notarization;
• Dock with the designated isolation field in Shanghai and update the isolation field registration for the enterprise within 1 day;
• Complete the customs declaration pre-declaration 7 days in advance,and the goods will enter the isolation field within 24 hours after arrival;

Finally,the horses were released smoothly after 30 days of isolation,12 days earlier than the enterprise’s original plan,saving a total of about 80,000 yuan in detention fees and inspection fees.

Summary: Core Value of Professional Agencies

For large pet import enterprises,compliance is the "lifeline".Once quarantine fails,not only will the goods be returned or destroyed,but the enterprise may also be included in the customs "dishonest list",affecting subsequent imports.With over 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen controls the full process from document pre-review to quarantine release,helping enterprises minimize risks and improve import efficiency.As of the first half of 2026,Zhongshen has assisted more than 30 enterprises in completing large pet imports,with a total of more than 200 imported animals,and no compliance issues have occurred.