In the high-wire stations, furry puppet cats look up and look through cat bags to measure the flow of people in curiosity; on the balcony of a hotel, one person sits silently and stands up to watch the evening twirls fall down the ocean... As pets become more and more linked to human life, the sweetness of the world's growing number of pets with “pussy children” is spreading.
Since 8 April this year, the railway sector has been piloting a pet shipping service “separated transport, diversion and exclusive care” in the Tokyo high iron sector, which was further expanded on 20 June. At the same time, a number of urban public spaces, such as malls, restaurants, etc., have been joining the pet friendly ranks.
How does it feel to be a pet? How can service providers balance their interests? Journalists investigated this.
"It's economy" on the road.
Mrs. Wang, who lives in Beijing, has had many trips with cats. Before that time, the high iron had no transport related to the transport of live animals, so in order to carry “pull children”, she sometimes had to resort to more expensive and time-consuming means of transportation: “For example, from Beijing to Tianjin, it took me only about $50 to get there in half an hour alone; but if I were to bring a pet, I would have to choose a more than 200-way windmill, which would double the price and time.”
On 8 April this year, the railway sector piloted the launch of a high iron pet shipping service, providing easier and more reliable options for carrying out the campaign. “Before leaving, I had a lot of work done on the websites, but the experience was very smooth and less than I thought.” Ms. Wang lamented that “from the purchase of tickets, booking of accommodations, to shipping procedures, and finally to the station of pets, every step is clearly guided and so much needed.”
We'll row on the Philippines' Mint Island and have a barbecue at Hokkaido cabin in Japan... In the camera of a pet owner, his two kittens, “balls” and “puffs”, were the best “touchers” on their journey. The blogger shared videos on social platforms on the travel of pets, drawing a crowd of praises: from Beijing to Shanghai, for example, the cost of carrying a cat into the cabin was around $1,400. Procedures must be prepared in advance - vaccinations for cats, quarantine certificates, etc. Prior to boarding, staff members wear masks and diapers for cats and pack them outside the kites with a net. Compared to heavy iron, which requires the placement of pets in special express containers in the centre of the cabin, the aircraft allowed the placement of soft bags with pets at the bottom of their feet, which eased some of the anxiety that “parents” were separated from “pull children”.
At present, many airlines such as Hainan Air, Capital Air, West Air, Southern Air and Gyan Air have introduced pet inbound services. In short-distance lanes, platforms such as Drills and Haroos are also on the line to offer pet outreach services to respond positively to pet owners ' demands.
In an interview with a journalist, Huang Haibo, Director of the Professional Committee on Traffic Management and Transport Law of the Beijing City Bar Association, said: “The border of `carrying out' is being widened, reflecting our respect for the needs of a pluralistic society. This shift is an expression of social progress and a vivid reminder of the shift in the public transport system from simple functional guarantees to social and emotional care.”
In addition to “line”, the associated scene of “live” and “swam” is being upgraded simultaneously. According to data published by the traveler, during the first week of this year, the number of residential reservations on the platform with the label “with pets” increased by more than 80 per cent, and the number of “with pets” increased by five times. Designing joint thematic rooms for pets with aviation boxes, toys, clean-up kits, hand-offs, welcome cards, the Wang Star's “Meat Man” menu ... In the dimensions of “residence”, the meaning of “Peter-Friendly” is more than simply “enabled access”.
Turning over the map, the “pet friendly”-related attractions, restaurants and camps are just as flowering. In Harbin Polar Park, all fully documented and gentle pets, with the exception of dogs, forbidden dogs and poultry, can enter the park with the help of their owners; in Zhengzhou Seachang Marine Park, a “Puppet Friendship Day” is set up to provide exclusive access to the park and to open recreational facilities for pets over time; in Jiangsu Province, Cebu City, piloting a “Pupture Friendly Tour destination” to promote recreational areas, rest stations, etc.
After 90 years of being the first group of pet friendly restaurants in Beijing. “Our shop has made zoning plans based on the different characteristics of the pets: quiet internal resting in comfortable couches, lively running in large terraces... Both the pets and the owners can find a unique corner here that fits their needs."
It happens when you're on the road.
Data show that the size of the pet travel services market exceeded $32 billion in 2024, with a compound growth rate of about 10 per cent per year.
What's so popular about being a pet? The industry has pointed out that, in the immediate aftermath of the rise of “emotional consumption” and “favourable economy”, the role of pets is no longer confined to home care, but is gradually being transformed into a “family member” who can communicate emotionally, with whom the life of the pets is expected.
However, when the world is becoming a fashionable place with a “buff child”, many pet owners are also embarrassed by the “floating”.
“The booking page, which is marked as `pet friendly', was told when it was checked in that it was `small owl only', `to take the dog to the restaurant, but to eat `closed spoon', `to pay an extra $300 a day for cleaning'. "More like the head of a merchant, when the real pets go, there are limits and price increases." Murmock regrets.
Ink experience is not unique, and in social media such as Weibo, Little Red, there are many likes: sometimes “dinner friendly” becomes “outdoor-limited”, sometimes “view friendly” is “regionally isolated”, and some traders, in the early stages of their operations, are led by “pee friendly” labels, tightening policies as soon as the flow of passengers stabilizes, or even allowing pets to enter... The emergence of these problems has led to a reduced sense of experience of travelling with pets.
In addition to “unfriendly” food and accommodation, traffic across space also causes a number of pets to suffer.
Not long ago, a friend of the Internet shared his experience with a pet car on the Internet: he had previously booked a pet car on a small program, but had been told that a big dog could not travel and had been refused transport.” The appointment options for the small program do not include entry points for the number and size of pets and the driver is not sufficiently aware of the variety of dogs. It's an oversight of the platform, but it's a consumer's responsibility.
Some netizens have indicated that, in addition to Internet connection vehicles, pet shipping channels such as heavy iron and aircraft, there are painful points of access restrictions, cumbersome procedures and high prices.
It also needs to address the conflict between the needs of pet owners and ordinary passengers: Parents are afraid of animal attacks, high iron passengers resisting odor and noise, and allergies are worried about pet fur and hygiene... “Some pets lead to public areas, but are not well restrained.” Ms. Hu, who travels frequently, has stated that “the uncivilized petry of some people can lead to the questioning of the entire group of pet owners”.
Establishing a pet-friendly environment requires holistic planning and clarity of responsibilities. According to Wang Yi, expert of the Municipal Public Sector Expert Committee of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and founding director of the Centre for Urban Management Studies of the University of Yangzhou, there were still many problems of management and unclear responsibilities in relation to the issue of business partnerships. “There is currently no uniform legislation in the country, and local legislation is not operational and there is still room for push and ambiguity in its practical implementation.”
According to the Executive Director of the Center for the Study of the Rule of Law and Development in Transport of the South-East University and Associate Professor of the Faculty of Law, Gu Dasum, some of the local legislation has not kept pace with the times. “For example, the dog management regulations of a municipality follow the 2003 criteria and list some moderate dog species as prohibited dogs, which may be inconvenient with the current public's need to treat pets as partner animals and be emotionally supportive.”
Balancing the needs and interests of the general public
Social discussions around pet friendly trips reflect new topics in public space management. How can the interests of all be balanced and “only” avoided? The answer lies in building a multi-stakeholder system of support with clear rules, detail and shared responsibility.
“Definition of the rights and obligations of the parties when pets operate in public places and strict enforcement of regulatory responsibilities, as well as improvement of the relevant laws and regulations, are essential foundations for ensuring the friendly movement of pets.” Wang Yi suggested that the legislature should further clarify the rights and obligations of pet owners, the prohibition of dog-breeding, the norms governing the conduct of pets in public spaces, the duties of the relevant departments, etc., and clarify the boundaries and rules governing the movement of pets in order to give all participants a stable and clear expectation that the law would govern the conduct of pets.
Balancing people ' s demand for travel and calling for more sophisticated and sincere services. Industry practitioners have called for industry-related sectors to promote transparent and feasible standards for the certification and classification of pet-friendly services, with clear access conditions, service content, additional costs and safety and health responsibilities, and to promote professionalization.
In terms of transport travel, Gu Dae-su suggested that in the future, time- and line-differentiated capacity configurations could be explored, taking into account the needs and interests of the general public. Related infrastructure, such as the installation of drinking water points in public places such as commercial streets and walkways, the rental of pet carts, the provision of pick-up bags, urine pads, etc.
At the same time, technological empowerment has given new life to pet friendly travel. Experts suggested that cross-prospective trust and mutual recognition of e-immunisation certificates could be promoted on the basis of technologies such as big data, the Internet and so on, to avoid duplication of quarantine inconveniences; the addition of additional smart surveillance in areas where pets were allowed access, the use of AI cameras to assist in identifying untaught, non-cleaning of excreta, access to prohibited areas, etc., and the timely alert of pet owners; and the establishment of reliable identification systems for pets, such as lost pets or conflicting disputes, which could be managed or pursued with precision.
“In addition, the binding of responsibility on pet owners cannot be ignored.” Wang Yi stated that pets need to follow public rules without abandoning their pets, routine vaccinations, timely cleaning of excreta, and avoiding disturbing others. Civilized pets can gain wider space for pets to travel. On the other hand, non-caregivers should also try to understand the emotional needs of their pets and accept partner animals as part of urban life with a more open and inclusive mindset.
"Whether it's a change in the public orientation of pets, or the current development." The need for its economy requires a greater use of the power of market and social participation, based on the clarification of basic legal requirements and sectoral regulatory functions, in order to achieve a shift from `regulation' to `governance'.