A mobile clinic set up by a non-government association called Ta Foundation for Animal Protection was not allowed to go on the road because it still did not have a license plate.
The 1-million-yuan project is already on hold for a year. Services could not be rendered because the NGO is still waiting for government to issue the vehicle's plate.
In Beijing, car owners have to enter a lottery every two months and only those selected will be issued vehicle licenses. This is a move of the government to reduce vehicles on the road.
"We have been participating in the lottery for a year, but we still haven't got one," said Lu Ping, a project manager for the foundation. "Right now, all we can do is continue entering the lottery and hope for the best."
The foundation also asked if they could be given a special plate but the transport commission said that this can only be issued to ambulances.
The van is going to be used by the NGO to visit villages and neuter stray dogs. They also intend to adopt some of the stray animals.
Aside from the Ta Foundation, activists are also pushing for a law to diminish cruelty to animals in China.
Chang Jiwen, deputy head of the Resources and Environment Policy Institute, part of the State Council's Development Research Centre, said, "China needs a prevention of cruelty to animals law."
The drive against cruelty to animals is also advocated by Tenger, an Inner Mongolia singer and member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He ran an online poll and about half a million users signed the pledge.
Assertion of animals' rights is already being done in other countries, according to Zhang Yue, chair of the Ta Foundation.
He said, "And it would be lamentable if we can't even get started on preventing cruelty."