Pet shops in Chinese cities are seeing more business as people go home for the Lunar New Year, or travel during the holiday. As a result, the price for pet care services is up 20 percent, Beijing Morning Post reported.
Many pet owners choose to have their animals stay in pet shops for the Spring Festival holiday, because the procedures to take pets home is quite complicated in China.
A pet owner surnamed Guo said she started to look for pet shops last month, because she will fly from Kunming in southwest China to Chongqing and stay there for about half a month for the holiday.
Guo said she will have to pay 1,500 yuan ($237) for half a month of pet care services, and she will have to provide her own dog food.
For pet shop owners, fostering pets during the holiday is a busy and lucrative business. An owner of a pet store said it is the third year that he chose not to go home but to stay in the city where he works to earn extra money.
Some pet owners choose to have their pets taken care of by another family member during the holiday, which is less expensive than having them kept at pet stores. Still, some pet owners like to take their companions home, despite the complicated procedures.
Sichuan Airlines reportedly will roll out pet air tickets in March. But according to its plans, pets are only allowed to stay in belly of a plane.
