Pet travel, boarding services surge during Spring Festival holiday

China

Pet travel, boarding services surge during Spring Festival holiday

2026-02-24 15:21 Last Updated At：18:57

The nine-day Spring Festival holiday period ending on Monday saw a sharp rise in demand for pet transport and boarding services, as pet owners increasingly sought reliable care for their beloved furry friends while they were away for the holiday.

Since the launch of the annual Spring Festival travel rush on Feb 2, airports and railway stations nationwide reported a marked increase in pet transport services.

At Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in east China's Zhejiang Province, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Capital Airlines introduced in-cabin pet services on domestic routes, allowing approved pets to travel alongside their owners in designated seats.

At the airport's pet service counter, passengers lined up with their animals to register for travel. Airport staff said volumes for pet flights, both in cabin and in cargo, surged several-fold during the travel rush.

"Today alone we are handling around 80 pets for cargo transport and about 20 for in-cabin travel, more than 100 in total, and over seven or eight times the usual daily figure," said Lei Xianjun, duty director of the airport's ground service department.

While air transport grew rapidly, boarding services proved even more popular. Pet shops and animal hospitals across many cities entered peak booking season a week before the holiday.

At an animal hospital in Changzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, staff cared for more than 40 boarded pets during the holiday, with rooms fully reserved two weeks in advance. Beyond standard feeding and walking routines, the hospital also tailors care plans for pets with specific medical needs.

"Most pets are fed and walked twice daily if there is no special requirement, and owners typically bring their regular food. For animals with conditions, we provide appropriate diets. For example, we provide low-fat diets for pets with pancreatitis, and tailored prescription diets for pets with urinary problems," said staff member Wu Hesheng.

"Boarding demand reached roughly 200 percent of normal levels. The surge is especially significant this year, with some customers securing reservations a month ahead of time," said Yao Xiaoshu, director of the Pet Alliance in Zhonglou District of Changzhou.

Nicaraguan FM warns of militarism revival

Nicaragua's co-foreign minister Valdrack Jaentschke has warned that militarism must never be allowed to rise again, as Japan's recent moves to lift its arms export ban and revise the pacifist Constitution continue to draw international concern.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, where Japan's Class-A war criminals from World War II were brought to justice.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Valdrack Jaentschke voiced his concern that today's world order is being undermined by interventionism and other challenges.

"It is necessary for us to remember that after the end of World War II, countries worked hard to build a new international order based on international law. However, regrettably, more than 80 years later, we are seeing that this once explored and attempted order is being challenged by interventionism, a confrontational mindset, and tendencies like 'might makes right.' These are precisely the conditions that gave rise to fascism and militarism in the past, which ultimately led to the tragedy of World War II," he said.

He said the international community has a responsibility to pursue a new international order -- one fundamentally grounded in peace.

"Looking back at the history more than eight decades ago and comparing it with today's reality, it is our responsibility to recognize that the world should, and must, build a new international order that is more just, fairer, rooted in international law, based on a logic of mutual benefit and shared success, and fundamentally grounded in peace," said the minister.

"Today, as we revisit the Tokyo Trials, it is meant to remind the world that such a tragedy must never be repeated -- and that we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. We must stop that dark world -- born from militarism, interventionism, and fascism -- from ever returning," he said.