Although animal protection has recently become one of the fastest growing civic activist movements in China today, its origins can be traced back to the early twentieth century. During the 1930s, Buddhist activists in Shanghai made the first Chinese attempt to launch a modern animal protection movement. Their Chinese Animal Protection Association (Zhongguo baohu dongwu hui) sought to emulate the successful examples of animal advocacy groups in England, the United States, and other foreign nations. In exploring the organization’s innovative efforts to adapt foreign strategies to local conditions, this presentation will highlight not only the transnational origins of Chinese animal protection, but also the important role of religious beliefs and practices in shaping the modern trajectory of Chinese civic culture.