As the number of pets in China continues to rise, it will reach 51.75 million pet dogs and 69.8 million pet cats in 2023, becoming the second largest pet market in the world. During the Spring Festival, the number of people traveling or returning to their hometowns surged, and the demand for pet boarding services in various places also rose. However, behind this prosperity, there are a series of problems in the pet boarding industry, including skyrocketing, opaque management, non-standard operation, etc., which have aroused widespread concern from consumers and industry insiders.
According to the investigation of the "Rule of Law**", during the Spring Festival, many pet foster care agencies in Beijing not only booked tightly, but also the cost of foster care was generally large**, and some high-end foster care services** even soared to twice or even higher than usual. Many pet owners are troubled by the high **, and the foster care environment and service quality are also uneven, from crowded standard rooms to well-equipped sun rooms, to luxury exclusive spaces, in various forms, but the actual effect is difficult to guarantee. In particular, some businesses increase services and charge additional fees without the consent of consumers, which makes pet owners fall into the dilemma of passively accepting ** services.
In the face of the chaos in the pet boarding market, legal expert Rao Wei pointed out that the main problems in the current industry are the lack of market supervision, the lack of strict qualification review of merchants, and the lack of unified service standards and charging standards. He stressed that pet boarding is essentially a custody contractual relationship, and the relevant provisions of the Civil Code should be strictly enforced to ensure that pets are properly cared for, and require merchants to obtain the explicit consent of consumers in advance when providing additional services.
Chen Yinjiang, deputy secretary-general of the China Consumer Rights Protection Research Association, believes that the particularity of the pet foster care industry complicates its problems, and it is particularly urgent to formulate detailed industry standards and regulatory systems. Relevant departments shall strengthen the qualification review and monitoring of daily sanitary conditions of pet foster care service establishments, and sort out and summarize various problems that may arise, so as to promote the establishment and improvement of industry norms.
For consumers, how to reasonably choose pet boarding services and protect their legitimate rights and interests during the Spring Festival? Experts recommend that before choosing a foster care agency, it is important to sign a detailed written agreement that clarifies the content of services during the foster care period, the fee standard and the response measures in case of emergency. At the same time, consumers should enhance their awareness of consumer rights protection, and promptly complain to the consumer association or seek relief through judicial channels when they encounter problems such as arbitrary charges and forced consumption.
To sum up, while the pet foster care industry is developing rapidly, various problems exposed need to be solved urgently. Establishing and improving industry standards and strengthening regulatory mechanisms is the key to protecting the rights and interests of consumers and promoting the healthy development of the industry. While enjoying convenient services, pet owners also need to keep their eyes open, consume rationally, and choose the most suitable foster environment for their "furry children".
The above content is the author's personal opinion, does not contain any political color, does not represent any political position, aims to reveal the current reality of the pet boarding market, and calls on all parties to jointly promote the standardization of the pet service industry.