Pets live it up in the lap of luxury

Whatever an owner wants for a pet, Li has got. Apart from individual rooms of five to six square meters for each pet, the resort offers facilities such as an indoor swimming pool, a party room, lots of chewable toys, a dessert area and a pet cinema.

To make sure every guest happy during their stay, the resort offers a special place for old pets and rooms with yards for animals to run around. The resort also plays standup comedy and music in the background to create an environment with human voices in it.

"We offer a service like a kindergarten to prevent pets from getting bored," she said. "They can socialize with other pets, go to a cinema showing films for dogs, or participate in social and sports courses."

"The resort is just the start," said Li. "China will be the country with the biggest pet ownership. And the hospitality service is a necessity for the market, and there is big potential. We aim to cultivate a local brand of premium service for pets."

However, Li said as a business with a relatively low entry barrier, accidents can happen due to a lack of professional knowledge. Indeed, many pet hotels provide fancy services such as pet swimming courses, but the qualifications of staff members are sometimes inadequate as the business is not strictly regulated.

Last month, a French bulldog drowned in a pet center in Quanzhou in Fujian province during a swimming lesson. The lack of basic knowledge to tell if the dog was struggling led to a tragedy that saddened internet users.

"It was heartbreaking news …before letting dogs swim, a simple health exam is needed and its medical history should be checked. Dogs with epilepsy and cardiopulmonary problems should not be allowed to swim," said Zhang Xu, a vet who owns a clinic in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

Even veterinary hospitals offering boarding services can be a problem in some cities like Beijing as current regulations prohibited them from doing so.

"Instead of saying we don't have regulations for pet boarding businesses, I would say we do have them, but there are still gaps in our current regulatory policies," said Kong Jing, a consultant with the Chinese Pet Products Association.

"We have developed a series of industry regulations, but it is relatively hard to supervise their execution, as the process often requires cooperation of multiple departments. Moreover, detailed guidelines in certain areas, such as whether a pet boarder is qualified, are still lacking," Kong said.