China's pet industry expects demand for 368,000 professionals

China's booming pet industry has resulted in a surge in demand for professionals, according to an industry report.

The market scale of the country's pet industry is expected to reach 493.6 billion yuan (about $69 billion) in 2022, up 25.2 percent year on year, said the latest report released by iiMedia Research, a third-party data mining and data analysis service provider. By 2025, the pet economy is forecast to reach 811.4 billion yuan.

A pet dog receives moxibustion therapy at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of China Agricultural University (CAU) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 29, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

The report estimated that the pet industry needs about 368,000 professionals. However, as of 2020, China had only 142,910 veterinarians - 89,758 licensed vets and 53,152 assistant vets who were not qualified to practice on their own, indicating that the pet industry faces a severe shortage of professionals.

Multiple colleges and universities in China have established pet-related majors, including veterinary medicine and pet health care, and worked with institutions and enterprises to enhance training of personnel in this field.

Wang Dan, 18, is a student majoring in pet medical technology at the Vocational and Technical College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University (IMAU) in Baotou city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. She is a cat lover and has a cat.

When she applied for university in July this year, she chose the major the university offered in the same year because of her fascination with small animals. "My classmates majored in pet medical technology for the same reason - that they like cats and dogs," she said.

"I want to open a pet hospital in the future and become a caring and skilled vet and turn my passion for pets into a career," she said.

"We planned to enrol 25 students for the major and realized that goal," said Guo Zhikai, deputy director of the department of animal husbandry and veterinary technology of the Vocational and Technical College of IMAU, adding that all those who were admitted had listed pet medical technology as their first-choice major.

Guo explained that the university set up the major because of the expanding pet market in Baotou and the launch of the city's three-year plan for the pet industry. "By providing the major, we can meet market demand and contribute to regional economic development," Guo said.

Colleges and universities have been exploring ways to train skilled veterinary professionals who have a sense of responsibility and a compassionate nature.

"In addition to outstanding professional skills, we also require students to become all-rounders with knowledge of pet nutrition and brand marketing," said Wu Xiaojie, director of the teaching and research office under the school of pet science and technology, Gansu Polytechnic College of Animal Husbandry & Engineering (GPCAHE) in Wuwei city, northwest China's Gansu Province.

GPCAHE also attaches great importance to professional dedication and provides services for stray animals. "We make students understand that vets, like doctors, need to have respect for life and be benevolent," said Yu Yanguo, deputy dean of the school of pet science and technology, GPCAHE.

The College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University (AAU) in east China's Anhui Province began training versatile talents with research and teaching skills and talents specializing in small animals in 2019, explained Wang Xichun, director of the veterinary medicine department of the college.

The College of Animal Science and Technology under AAU has also worked together with large pet hospitals and diagnosis and treatment institutions in cultivating talents.

In September 2015, the Wenzhou Vocational College of Science & Technology in east China's Zhejiang Province took the lead in setting up a major for pet care and training in the province to train inter-disciplinary talents with outstanding skills in the pet industry in the new era.

"The booming pet economy has created a new opportunity for us to push the development of relevant majors and talent cultivation based on enterprises' needs, development trends and cutting-edge technologies in the pet industry, so that we can enhance the adaptability of our talent cultivation," said Pan Yangfu, dean of the College of Animal Science under Wenzhou Vocational College of Science & Technology.