Woman Spends US$1,650 a Month on Dog Kindergarten as China's Pet Industry Surges

A young Chinese woman has gone viral after reportedly paying 12,000 yuan (US$1,650) a month to enroll her six-month-old Samoyed in a dog kindergarten.

Taotao, a Shanghai woman born in the 1990s, booked a package that includes basic boarding, bonding classes and a door-to-door "school bus" pick-up and drop-off service.

"I'm usually too busy with work and don't have much time to keep it company, so this felt like a practical solution," Taotao said.

The package costs 12,000 yuan, including basic boarding at 188 yuan per day, 368-yuan "parent-child" training sessions, and door-to-door transport, with food charged separately.

The center also includes live-stream access for owners to check in anytime, and routine health checks.

A founder of a pet school in Shanghai, surnamed Chen, said such services are in high demand, with owners typically waiting two to three weeks for a spot, according to Cover News.

The center usually hosts around 20 to 30 dogs during quieter periods, but that number can rise to about 100 during peak times such as the Lunar New Year holiday.

According to Flywheel's 2026 Pet Industry Trends report, China's urban pet population has topped 126 million, with spending on dogs and cats exceeding 310 billion yuan.

China's booming pet economy is fueling a rise in specialized services – from dog daycare to behavioral training – with dog kindergartens varying dramatically depending on the level of service.

In Shanghai, basic dog daycare services can cost around 950 yuan per month, while mid-range packages typically range between 3,000 yuan and 6,000 yuan. High-end customized programs, such as the one Taotao chose, can exceed 10,000 yuan monthly.

It has also spread to other major Chinese cities including Chengdu, Hangzhou and Wuhan, where pet schools are increasingly focusing on specialized and lifestyle-oriented services.

In Chengdu, some pet daycare centers offer "daycare plus socialization" programs featuring supervised playtime, customized fresh meals and separate areas for cats and dogs, with prices starting at around 150 yuan to 200 yuan per day.

The boom is also reshaping hiring. A center in Shanghai's Baoshan District employs 17 part-time staff, about half with early childhood education backgrounds, alongside fitness trainers better suited to handling larger, high-energy dogs.

The trend has sparked amusement on social media. As one commenter put it: "If you don't work hard enough, you can't even afford dog kindergarten."