Young entrepreneurs transform pet care with creative new spaces

Young Chinese entrepreneurs are reshaping the pet economy with fresh ideas ranging from pet kindergartens to dog-only restaurants, tapping into a booming market worth 300 billion yuan (42 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024.

Instead of traditional pet shops, some young business owners now run pet boarding centers that function like early education facilities, while others cater exclusively to pets in themed restaurants.

These ventures reflect changing attitudes toward pets from animals needing care to emotional companions integrated into daily life.

"I founded Wogua Pet Kindergarten based on my own needs. My previous job required frequent overtime and business trips so I had to send my pets to regular pet shops, which lacked proper care and limited their socialization. After market research, I realized there was a gap in the market for better pet care," said Li Xianyu, founder of Wogua, which was established in August 2023 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

As choosing where to leave a pet has become a matter of deep trust for many owners, Li said Wogua aims to provide the same level of attention and emotional care as a daycare center for children.

"At its core, it's about emotional consumption, shifting from pets to becoming an emotional companion for our families," said Li.

"Regular meals and drinks might cost around 3,000 to 5,000 yuan per month. There are well-known pet-friendly restaurants with special dog menus, and I really like to visit those," said a customer at Wogua.

Another entrepreneur is changing the dining experience altogether, with pets as the primary customers.

At EGGY Pet, a pet-only restaurant founded by Jia Wenbin, pets are the diners while their owners act as servers. The concept blends creativity with pet-centric design, including details like yellow-themed interiors tailored to dogs' vision, as dogs can only see yellow and purple. The first location features egg-yolk-inspired decor to appeal to canine eyesight.

The brand aims to offer more shared spaces for pets and their owners, encouraging deeper interaction and companionship.

"I think it's really creative, and I absolutely love it. I'm excited to bring my dog here and experience how friendly it is for people and pets to be together," said a customer.

Jia believes the pet economy is entering a new phase driven by younger consumers.

"More and more young people are becoming pet owners and a major force in the consumer market. Caring for pet owners is an essential trend. Young pet owners advocate for a mutually friendly relationship, treating pets well and supporting pet owners. It's also about being mindful of non-pet owners. Only by doing so can we move society forward and secure more rights for pets," he said.

As the bond between humans and pets deepens, entrepreneurs say the pet economy is no longer just about upgraded spending, it reflects a broader shift toward valuing life beyond humans and building a more inclusive social support system.

Young entrepreneurs transform pet care with creative new spaces

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Thursday called on Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to remove restrictions on travel by mainland residents to Taiwan at an early date.

At a press briefing in Beijing, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, slammed the DPP's political manipulation in response to the Taiwan authorities' decision to reject applications from tourism operators in Shanghai Municipality and Fujian Province to conduct preparatory visits to Taiwan. The decision has drawn criticism from tourism operators and industry groups on the island.

"Promoting the resumption of travel by residents of Shanghai and Fujian to Taiwan is a positive step that aligns with mainstream public opinion in Taiwan and will help promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. Preparatory visits are a routine industry practice to coordinate accommodation, tourist sites and reception arrangements, which are purely private, business-related exchange. However, the DPP authorities unilaterally demanded prior consultations through tourism bodies as a prerequisite and rejected the applications for preparatory visits to the island," Zhu said.

"Such a move is typical political manipulation and the creation of artificial barriers. The industry's call for less political manipulation and prioritizing tourism fully reflects the industry's dissatisfaction and opposition to the DPP authorities' deliberate politicization of cross-strait tourism and their disregard for the survival difficulties of tourism operators on the island and the livelihood demands of ordinary people," she said.

"We have upheld the vision that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family, promoted the resumption of travel by mainland residents to Taiwan and continued to extend goodwill. Since 2024, travel by residents of Fujian and Shanghai to Kinmen and Matsu has been restored," said the spokeswoman.

"If the DPP authorities truly care about the livelihoods of those in the tourism sector, they should lift the restrictions on mainland residents traveling to Taiwan at an early date," Zhu said.

Chinese mainland urges DPP authorities to lift travel restrictions on mainland residents