Around 4 pm, a small brown poodle (鬈毛狗) named Duoduo jumps out happily when she sees Xiao Lyu. Xiao is a PE teacher in Beijing, but she works as a part-time pet sitter after work. “When I care for animals, they give love back. It feels great to be needed,” she says.
This job has become popular in China recently. Many young people like Xiao choose pet sitting because it has low entry barriers and flexible hours. By 2024, Chinese cities had over 124 million pets, and most owners were post-80s or post-90s. They are busy with work, so pet sitters help feed and play with their pets.
Li, a worker in Shanghai, once had to attend an important meeting but worried about her Samoyed dog (萨摩耶犬) at home. She used a dog-walking app to find help quickly. During holidays, more people travel, so pet sitters like Bai Xiao are very busy. Bai, a 25-year-old in Chongqing, visits pets’ homes, feeds them, and sends photos to owners. She earns 60-100 yuan each time, but the job is seasonal.
However, the pet-sitting industry needs more rules. Some sitters have no training, so service quality is different. Now many sitters join regulated platforms or get certified to do better work. The pet market in China grew to over 300 billion yuan in 2024, and more young people are finding joy in helping animals.
It’s not just a job — it’s a way to bring warmth to both pets and their owners!
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