Pet owners in Beijing now have approximately 40 hospitals to choose from instead of relying on themselves to heal their beloved pets, "China Daily" reports today.

"Nearly 80 pets come here for medical treatment or shots every day," Ling Fengjun, vice-director of the Beijing Pet Hospital, was quoted as saying.

Equipped with imported facilities, the hospital has a laboratory, an X-ray examination room, an ultrasonic detector room and an operating room especially for pets.

All veterinarians and nurses at the pet hospital have been professionally trained, Ling said.

In meeting the needs of pet enthusiasts, the hospital plans to add more services, including a pet beauty parlor, health consulting and a training program.

Currently, urban pet owners do not just spend money to make sure their pets are healthy, but they also buy special clothes and toys for them.

The craze was evident during the Third Beijing International Pet Show, which took place early last month. The popular event strengthened the confidence of participating enterprises regarding the future development of the pet industry in China, says the report.

Some famous companies, such as Doggyman from Japan and Eight-in- one from the United States, expressed their desire to look for agents in China in the near future.