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It's dogs' life!
(Asian Times)
Updated: 2006-02-01 11:58 Many Chinese have seen their lives transformed by
rocketing incomes, greater personal freedom and changes in family structure. But
the people of China are not the only ones in the country affected by progress.
The various contradictions resulting from China's struggle to balance
centuries-old traditions with rapid modernization are shown by the unprecedented
rise in the popularity of dogs as pets.
Dogs are at present caught somewhere in an awkward middle ground between
man's best friend and a comforting soup. It's a common sight to see pampered,
manicured pooches frolicking with their doting owners just a few meters away
from a restaurant where diners chow down on stewed dog meat.
Despite these ambiguities, the social status of dogs in the country is
certainly improving. In a society where, not so long ago, raising pets was
banned as a bourgeois, capitalist tendency, it is now chic to own one. "Pet
fashion designer" was among a list of new professions published last year by the
Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
According to the market research firm Euromonitor International, the
percentage of dog owners in China increased from 5% in 1999 to 15% in 2004. The
company estimates that dog- and cat-food sales in 2004 reached 1.6 billion yuan
(US$198.5 million), a hefty increase of some 13% over the previous year. While
small in scale compared with the market in developed countries, Euromonitor is
bullish on the mainland's growth potential for pet-care products, predicting
that the pet population will continue to increase strongly over the next five
years.
Beijing alone currently has some 300-odd pet care and products shops. At the
sybaritic Royal Canine store next to the city's Worker's Stadium, customers
patiently wait in long lines to give their pets a full dog beauty treatment,
including shampoo and blow-dry, manicure and gum cleaning. The cost is anywhere
from $12-$25, depending on the size of the dog, in a country where the average
monthly wage is still only around $120. While waiting, the customers can peruse
an astonishing variety of pet products including natural oatmeal shampoo,
tea-tree oil perfume, lace-trimmed couches, and cheddar-cheese-flavored cookies.
Olivia Ma, a Beijinger who works for the oil company Royal Dutch Shell, says
expense is not a concern when it comes to her cherished pup, Ma Lin, a golden
cocker spaniel. Explaining why she has brought in her dog for beauty treatment,
she said, "It's soon going to be Chinese New Year, and Ma Lin is part of the
family, so he should look as beautiful for the festival as we do."
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