BEIJING: Just a few days ahead of Spring Festival, pet grooming and pet sitting services are booming in China as people follow the tradition of getting their houses cleaned and in order to bring good fortune in the new year.
“My shop has three staff members including me, and since Jan 18 we’ve been washing 10 to 15 dogs and cats each day, the workload doubling from usual times,” said Yan Jie, who runs a pet grooming business in Beijing’s Chaoyang district . “We also offer services such as styling, nail trimming and ear cleaning.”
She said the bathing and grooming price for cats has gone up to 160 yuan ($23) per cat, nearly twice as much as usual, and the price for dogs ranges from 120 to 300 yuan, depending on size.
“Despite raising the price, we still have a lot of bookings, and we have to skip lunch or dinner this week to complete them. Many of the customers don’t care how much they pay for their pets and just want them to be more beautiful and adorable for the coming festival,” she said.
Falling on Wednesday, Spring Festival this year is an eight-day holiday, beginning Tuesday — Chinese New Year’s Eve. Because of the long vacation period, during which many people will return to their hometowns for family reunions, pet sitting services are also in great demand. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
