AS the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, approaches and pet owners prepare to return to their hometowns, Shenzhen has seen an increase in services catering to the needs of pets left behind. These services range from pet boarding at local stores to door-to-door feeding and in-home pet care.

With the rising demand for pet care services, the prices for boarding at pet stores have also increased. According to Shenzhen Evening News, some stores have raised their prices by 30%-50%, while others have even doubled their rates. Despite the price hikes, many pet owners have already reserved spaces for their pets in advance, resulting in sold-out services at some animal hospitals and pet stores.

During the boarding period, pet stores ensure that pets receive necessary care such as feeding, walking, grooming, and hygiene maintenance. To guarantee the safety of the pets, pet stores and pet owners sign agreements, and pet owners must provide records of their pets’ vaccinations and parasite treatments.

In addition to traditional pet boarding, door-to-door feeding and in-home pet care services have become increasingly popular among pet owners.

Pet groomers, such as Shen Ling, have opted to provide in-home care during the Spring Festival holiday, offering services such as feeding, cleaning, observing pets’ behavior, and providing personalized care based on the pet’s needs.

Similarly, Zheng Le offers door-to-door feeding services. She disclosed that she charges owners based on the distance she needs to travel: 30 yuan (US$4.17) for within a 2-kilometer radius from her home, 40 yuan for within 5 kilometers, and 50 yuan for within 8 kilometers. Additionally, she charges an extra 30 yuan for walking a dog for half an hour and an additional 10 yuan for every 10 minutes beyond that.

For those who prefer in-home pet care, domestic pet boarding services offer a unique option. Service providers, motivated by their love for pets, care for pets in their own homes for a daily fee.

One such service provider, Jia Huanmin, charges 40 yuan per day and said that she intends to provide companionship to pets rather than earn a profit. She recently received an order to take care of a Border Collie and would like to try her best to keep the dog company and help it adapt to the new environment.

Data from a consumption report on China’s pet industry from 2023 to 2024 revealed growth in the urban pet market, with the market scale reaching 279.3 billion yuan in 2023, an increase of 3.2% year on year. The cat market saw a surge of 6%, while the dog market experienced a modest increase of 0.9%. (Chen Siqi)