With China's growing middle class having ever more disposable income, some animal lovers have chosen to spend their hard-earned cash on pet burial services for their dearly departed furry friends.
China's first pet cemetery opened in Beijing in 2000. Since then, similar services have sprung up across China. They provide services including purification, funerals, cremation and cemetery plots.
VCG Photo
Different cremation and burial services range from 300 to 5,000 yuan (44 to 425 US dollars), while heavily decorated luxury tombs can set pet owners back over 10,000 yuan (1,450 US dollars).
Of course, such a high supply is brought about by high demand. Industry insiders say the number of people demanding a burial service for their pets has doubled every year since 2004.
VCG Photo
Professor Xia Xueluan from Peking University’s Department of Sociology explains that China’s booming economy and ageing population are the driving forces behind the country's increasing appreciation for animal companionship.
VCG Photo
In Beijing alone, statistics show that the pet industry grows by 20 percent every year. Given an annual death rate of between 8-10 percent, 300,000 pets await death treatment in Beijing every year.
With the industry being relatively new and having grown so quickly, there are few regulations or laws governing the sector. So far, only 3 pet cemeteries in Beijing are officially licensed to safely dispose of dead animals.
VCG Photo
In an attempt to standardize the industry, starting from January 1 this year, Beijing's Municipal Bureau of Agriculture established a treatment system to regulate the collection and disposal of deceased animals.
