Shanghai rolls out red carpet for furry friends

As Shanghai's commercial spaces become more pet-friendly, the city is also putting in place measures to make life and travel easier for pets, reinforcing its goal of turning into a global consumption hub.

On Sept 1, Shanghai's Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau began implementing its guidelines on the city's parks and open green space management, exploring pilot programs to allow pets in certain parks based on local conditions, reported Shanghai Morning Post.

Whether urban parks should "embrace" pets remains a topic of debate as the city works to improve park quality. The guidelines also call for strengthened management of pet-friendly parks, requiring clear safety and etiquette notices for dog owners in prominent park locations.

Peace Park in Hongkou district, for example, has already established separate pet areas for small and medium-to-large dogs. The newly designated zones at the Peace Park's sunken plaza, as well as the entire Kunshan park of Hongkou district, are now open for dog walking.

Shanghai is leading the nation in standardizing pet-friendly commercial spaces. "A management standard for pet-friendly commercial venues and indoor facilities has been submitted for approval, which will set the bar for how the pet economy can be explored and developed for other Chinese cities to follow," said Zhang Yi, CEO and chief analyst at iiMedia Research.

According to Zhang, Shanghai has long aimed to become a global consumption hub, and pet-friendliness will definitely drive the East China cosmopolis' consumption potential.

"From a government perspective, emerging sectors like the pet economy are now being incorporated into new consumption development plans, with policy support to match," he added.

On May 24, Shanghai launched its first pet-friendly shuttle bus at Baoshan Langxiang Park, and this quickly proved popular among pet-owning families.

The weekend-only shuttle bus route runs two trips per direction daily, with tickets priced at 20 yuan ($2.81). The route stops at five locations, including Jing'an IMIX Park and Suhe MixC World, before reaching Gate M West Bund Dream Center, taking about 100 minutes.

All 38 seats are reserved for passengers and pets, and a safety officer checks dog licenses and vaccination certificates while monitoring pets on board.

"Seats are limited, so we recommend booking in advance through the 'Suishenxing' platform," Liao Weihua, who is in charge of the shuttle bus, was quoted as saying by local news portal Eastday.com. "Each ticket covers one person and one pet, and reservations close after the bus departs."

According to a blue book on the Chinese pet industry issued in March this year, the country is estimated to be home to 187 million pet dogs and cats in 2024, with the urban pet market exceeding 300 billion yuan. Shanghai alone accounts for 23 to 25 billion yuan, representing about 8 percent of the national market.

"In summary, Shanghai's commercial spaces are placing increasing emphasis on pet-friendliness, driven both by market trends and the city's proactive embrace of this shift, creating an environment better suited to modern lifestyles," said Zhang.