With so many pet owners in China, pet care centers should be plentiful. The case is different, however, as some pet owners find it difficult to find an establishment that caters to their pet needs, according to an article by China Daily.
Dong Jinxian, a 55-year-old Beijing local, had trouble looking for a temporary home for her pet parrots before traveling back to her hometown for the Spring Festival.
Pet care centers are common in the city, but Dong found out that most of these establishments don't offer certain services.
"I had consulted lots of animal care centers, big and small, but all said they don't accept birds for lack of knowledge or experience in taking care of them," shared Dong in an interview with China Daily.
After days of searching, Dong was able to find a temporary home for her feathered friends through the help of a bird seller.
Most pet care shelters and animal hospitals only provide short-term stays for dogs and cats (two of the most popular pets among Chinese), leaving owners of birds and hamsters in a bind.
"We provide medical treatment and short-term care only for dogs and cats, based on a daily charge of 80 to 150 yuan," said an anonymous nurse working at Jinghe Animal Hospital in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. Pet owners are asked to sign an agreement to prevent possible issues.
"Our doctors will also give animals physical examinations to ensure their health condition before signing the agreement," said the nurse. "We usually don't accept puppies or old dogs for a short stay to avoid disputes caused by their disease or death, and we will contact pet owners immediately if any health problem occurs."
It is, however, understandable for pet care centers to deny services they don't even offer. Sometimes, disputes arise from the mishandling, disease or death of pets.
Since pets are considered private party, pet owners are highly encouraged to sign agreements with care centers for guaranteed service, according to Liu Lin, a lawyer at Beijing Shuangli Law Firm.
"Apart from the time and price for the temporary care, other related items including the habits of the pets and how the animals will be taken care of should also be included in the agreement in case of any possible disputes," Liu said.