"As long as it is not a large dog, other cats and dogs can be checked in, just bring the quarantine certificate and the owner's ID card. ”
Zhao Ying just became a parent of a dog this year. The Spring Festival is approaching, and she came to Beijing Liuliqiao long-distance bus station a few days in advance to inquire about bringing her dog home for the New Year.
According to Chinese law, pets are generally not allowed to be brought into the carriage when riding the bus. Photo by Yu Tianhao.
Before this, Zhao Ying had already been busy: she called 12306 and learned that pets could not be checked on the train home; I wanted to ask relatives and friends who were driving to help, but because she had a dog, she was politely refused.
Although it only takes more than an hour to take the high-speed train home, in order to be able to take the puppy back to reunite with her parents, Zhao Ying feels that even a six- or seven-hour bus ride is acceptable.
The consignment note that Zhao Ying got at Liuliqiao. There are no indication or regulations regarding pets. Photo by Yu Tianhao.
Just when she thought she could check it with peace of mind, the staff's words made her heart half cold.
But the dog can only be put in the luggage compartment, faint or die, we are not responsible. ”
After many entanglements, Zhao Ying was still not at ease, so she had to give up. She said that when she decided to get a dog at the beginning of the year, she didn't expect it to be so complicated to travel with a dog.
Cats and dogs, trapped at home.
This is not Zhao Ying's predicament alone.
According to statistics, as of 2022, nearly 100 million households in China have pets. At present, China's pet industry has grown into the world's second largest market and is still in a period of rapid growth.
And "it is difficult to travel with pets" is a pain point for many pet families.
Like Zhao Ying, many owners are at a loss when their pets travel. Although railways and airlines provide pet check-in services, coverage is still limited. Moreover, most of them are only responsible for the consignment and are not responsible for the health of the pet.
For the details of pet consignment, different trains and different flights vary greatly, and it is also a headache to know which one is reliable and which one is affordable.
Different airlines and trains have different requirements for pet check-in. Source: China Southern Airlines official website.
I had a dog in my first year, and I didn't know if my dog would be uncomfortable or have an accident on the train or plane, so it was difficult to determine whether it was my own problem or the problem of consignment. Zhao Ying said, "There are too many uncertainties in pet travel. ”
Uncertainty" may be a good summary of the current situation faced by pets when they go out.
How do you do it abroad?
My classmates studied abroad in New York, where anyone who could fit a pet in their bag could take it on the subway. Zhao Ying said, "She often sends me some 'dog bag' shows, which are very funny." ”
In some countries, pets can travel on public transport in the same way as people. On the Internet and in film and television dramas, you can often see the picture of "harmony between people and pets".
Traveling with pets is an owner's dream, but why do we have so many restrictions on pet travel?
Take a look at these requirements for raising pets abroad, and you may be able to understand something:
In the United States, dog ownership requires a registration fee, and each dog not only has a "hukou", but also has to register "education";
In Canada, whether you are buying or adopting, you need to review the pet owner to determine whether you are suitable for a dog;
In Germany, dog ownership requires a license, annual liability insurance, and if you abuse or abandon your pet, you may face fines or jail time.
In France, it is mandatory for dogs to be injected with microchips at the age of 6 months, and a special license is required for dog sales;
The veterinarian scans the dog's chip to obtain information about the health of the dog and the owner.
Almost all countries that are "tolerant" of pet travel have a fairly complete set of pet policies.
From the screening and risk avoidance before pet raising, to the constraints and guarantees in the process of pet raising, to the aftercare and treatment of pets after they leave, a closed loop is formed.
The rules that we advocate on a daily basis, such as leashes and muzzles, may not even be the most basic requirements in these countries.
Travel with pets, rules first.
Although for various reasons, our public transportation cannot realize the free and smooth travel of pets, but we have to look directly at the current surge in pet travel demand.
This is not only a matter of the pet itself, but also a matter of people, systems and even concepts.
Compared with foreign countries, our pet raising is still in the process of modernization, order, norms, and laws are all groping, and the contradiction between pet keepers and non-pet keepers is still there.
I can actually understand that. On the way home from the long-distance station, Zhao Ying said, "After all, not everyone likes dogs, and everyone can accept dogs." The degree of acceptance of dogs in this society actually depends on the institutional guarantee, and how can we, the pet owners, better restrain ourselves and pets. ”
At present, China does not have a relatively complete and highly executed policy system for pet breeding.
Our dog management policies are not uniform across the country, and there is no strict enforcement mechanism, and there is still a large number of personnel gaps in dog management. There is no strict management of dog breeders and dogs, and even law enforcement in individual areas is rude and barbaric, and the management is chaotic and disorderly.
The quality of pet owners is also uneven, and dogs excrete everywhere and hurt people accidents occur from time to time, which exacerbates the distrust and insecurity of non-pet owners.
In the industry, there is a lack of management rules for pet schools, medical treatment, funerals, foster care and other links, and there is no standardized strict standards and unified constraints.
It can be said that we still have no pre-existing foundation for pets and harmonious travel, and we cannot guarantee the safety of most people's travel.
Pet travel, it seems to be a matter of the transportation department, but in fact it is a matter of the whole society, so that pets can travel smoothly, it takes patience and change efforts.
Let's talk in the comment area, where is your pet celebrating the New Year?
*: CCTV).