In recent years, hospitals, beauty saloons, tailor shops and photo studios for pets and other pet-related businesses have mushroomed in Shenzhen, a metropolis neighboring Hong Kong in south China, as more and more local people become pet owners. It’s predicted that Shenzhen will have a yearly profit of 100 million yuan (US$12.08 million) from the pet industry this year.

Shenzhen is one of the major Chinese cities where pet-raising has becoming increasingly popular. Animals favored as pets in the city are mainly cats and dogs, ranging from rare and precious dogs worth tens of thousands of yuan (US$1= 8.27670 yuan) to cats worth about 12 yuan. On average a pet costs its owner 300 yuan a month to cover various expenses, including fees for regular physical check-up, nail and hair trimming and sometimes medical treatment. The city now has nearly 100 pet hospitals.

The pet business has a big profit margin, averagely above 100 percent. Some are even higher.

Lured by the lucrative “cake,” businessmen have presented varieties of pet goods. Now 200 kinds of pet ornaments are available in Shenzhen, including toys, ropes, beds and kennels, bones and chews. A small dog jacket costs 100 yuan.

Many photo studios offer photo-taking service for pets, which attracts a lot of clients despite the astronomic price.

A pet shop obtains an average monthly profit of 5,000 yuan. Ms. Zhao, owner of a pet beauty saloon, said her shop offers bathing service: wash ears and eyes, clip nails, and trim belly hair. It usually costs 60 yuan or so. For having the pet’s hair dyed, the price can be as high as 300-400 yuan.

As now people’s living standard is improving, pet raising is no longer limited to wealthy people in China. It has become common and chic. Shenzhen has formed a pet-keeping structure composed of dogs, cats, birds and aquatics. The dogs number 10,000.

Some new pets have also appeared in Shenzhen, like spiders and centipedes.

If the pet owner is going for a trip, all he or she needs is a phone call. The staff with the pet trusteeship center will come to the house and pick the pet. In Shenzhen, a pet-related industry, including the production and service of clothes, food, accommodation, medicine and travel is gradually taking shape.

(China.org.cn by Guo Xiaohong September 8, 2004)