Wanderlust for pet travel unleashes market potential

陈小将

Zeng Qingbin always plans ahead and has to make extra considerations for two special family members whenever he hits the road.

Over the past eight years, the 35-year-old from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, has traveled across the country with his dogs — a Shiba Inu called Chai Chai and Labrador retriever Ba Bao — who he treats as his children.

They have made it as far as the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in the northwest of the country, Hainan province in the south and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in the north.

One of the most unforgettable journeys was to Xinjiang in May last year, when he took the dogs to Sayram Lake in the Bortala Mongolian autonomous prefecture, as well as the region's vast grasslands and deserts.

"I had always dreamed of giving them free rein and having them run wild on a big grassland, with the snow-capped mountains in the background," Zeng said.

The trip lasted for two weeks. Zeng said he was tired by the end of it, but "everything was so worth it".

He got to spend time with his dogs in a setting that was very different from a city, and became closer to his pets.

"I got my first dog, a Shiba Inu, in 2017, a year after coming to Hangzhou for work," Zeng said. "I knew it would bring me happiness, and it did."

He felt guilty about leaving Chai Chai behind during the daytime while he was at work, so he got Ba Bao to keep the Shiba Inu company.

"They have accompanied me since I started trying to establish myself in Hangzhou, and they provide me with a lot of emotional support," he said.

Zeng began his career in real estate, and in 2020 decided to start his own tea business.

He works hard running the business, and gets a lot of comfort from Chai Chai and Ba Bao who run toward him and jump into his arms when he comes home.

"Their time with me is very short, so within my capabilities, I hope to create wonderful experiences for them," he said.