Those who win the dogs are required to sign an agreement to follow government regulations for raising and caring properly for the animals, said the police academy statement. They are forbidden from reselling the dogs or transferring them to another owner.

These dog auctions happen a few times a year -- the police academy also held auctions for "failed" dogs in March and June this year. But this latest announcement for the July auction gained traction online, with the hashtag garnering 160 million views on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.