CHONGQING – Pet boarder Zhang Yang will be spending his Chinese New Year (CNY) break taking care of 10 dogs – double the number he usually takes on – as demand for pet sitters soars during China’s longest holiday.
Mr Zhang, 29, who keeps the dogs in his two-bedroom rental unit in south-western Chongqing municipality, usually charges between 50 yuan (S$9.50) and 100 yuan a day for each dog, depending on the dog’s weight.
He hiked prices by at least 25 per cent for CNY. But this did not stop pet owners from pleading with him to open up more spots, with some offering to double his usual rate.
“This will really be the busiest I’ve been since I started my boarding services in September 2024. I will have to work all day to make sure that all the dogs in my care are properly walked and fed,” Mr Zhang, who lives alone, told The Straits Times.
Millions of Chinese across the country will be returning to their home towns or heading overseas during the CNY period, which officially started on Jan 28.
An estimated nine billion trips – a record high and equivalent to the entire population of China making at least six trips each – are expected to be taken over the 40 days from Jan 14.
This has spurred a rise in demand for pet boarding services despite China’s dismal economy. The local media in provinces such as eastern Shandong, south-western Yunnan and central Hubei had reported that pet boarders in their provinces are receiving at least 15 per cent more requests for CNY 2025, compared with the festive period in 2024.
Baker Fang Qihui, 26, who lives in Beijing, booked a spot for her dog at a pet hotel at least two weeks before she was due to leave for her home town in Shanxi province in northern China.
Prices had gone up by 30 per cent because of the high demand, she said. She is expecting to pay about 2,200 yuan for her dog’s 10-day stay.
“But I’ve used this service many times, so I trust the operator a lot. My dog has a room to herself, and I can observe her with a web link set up by the hotel. The staff also take my dog out for walks thrice a day,” she said.
But not everyone has snapped up a spot.
Ms Tan Xiubin, 32, who lives in Shanghai, said she engaged a pet sitter to feed and walk her dog twice a day so she could go back to central Hunan province for CNY.
It was her backup plan after she could not book a spot at a pet hotel. She said she is paying about 30 per cent more for a sitter, compared with boarding.
“I don’t see any other option,” she said.
The willingness of the Chinese to spend on their pets comes as more young people, particularly those who are working in China’s most developed cities, turn to pets for companionship.
China’s pet economy is projected to grow 94 per cent from US$82.99 billion (S$112.9 billion) in 2023 to US$161 billion by 2028, according to research by iiMedia, a business consultancy in southern Guangdong province.
Women living in China’s most developed cities – Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing and Guangzhou – and who are between 18 and 30 years old, like Ms Fang and Ms Tan, are among the biggest spenders in China’s bustling pet economy, the research showed.
Mr Zhang said he would be offering festive meals to the dogs in his care, with options such as salmon, beef and chicken on Jan 28 – the eve of CNY, typically the day for reunion dinners.
“I hope the meals will help my customers feel less guilty about leaving their dogs with me,” he said.
“This way, the next time they go on holiday or need to leave town, they will want to engage my services again.”
But not all are leaving their pets behind as they go home for the festivities.
Ms May Li, 27, decided to rent a car and drive six hours to her home town in Handan city in Hebei province in the north, from capital city Beijing – with her pet corgi in tow.
This is the first time Ms Li will be taking her pet dog, Tuantuan, with her to her childhood home.
“I did not consider boarding services because my dog tends to get into fights with other dogs. I usually leave Tuantuan at a friend’s house, but my friend is not free this time,” Ms Li, an office manager, told ST.
“So I decided to take Tuantuan home, and if my relatives ask me whether I plan to have children, I’ll just show them Tuantuan and tell them that I already have one and don’t want any more.”
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