In Shanghai, a unique dog wedding caused widespread controversy. Two giant poodles who have just grown up, under the careful arrangement of their owners, held a garden wedding as luxurious and realistic as a human wedding. Colorful balloons fluttered in the wind at the wedding scene, and the names of two dogs were conspicuously written on the exhibition board. For this wedding, the two dogs spent thousands of dollars to carefully create shapes, and their dresses were all customized.The bride’s wedding dress is embroidered with bright rhinestones, while the groom is dressed in a straight suit and a delicate bow tie. On-site professional emcee, photographer and cameraman are all available, and the owner specially invited 30 "good friends and dogs" to witness this special moment. Although the wedding didn’t charge money, it was just for fun, but it caused ripples in society.
Two very expensive dogs who got married. source/cover news
In fact, this kind of pet ceremony has already developed into a mature industrial chain. According to a pet wedding planner, he can undertake it every month during the peak season.8-10 pet weddings, the average price of each wedding ranges from several thousand yuan to tens of thousands of yuan. This seems to be a wedding between pets, but it actually reflects the social needs of pet owners. Nowadays, the pet economy has become the third emerging market after the single economy and the silver-haired economy. Like fine capillaries, it has penetrated into all aspects of our lives.
Birthday parties for pets are also very popular. The host will carefully decorate the birthday venue, buy a birthday cake made of chicken breast, pumpkin, purple potato and other ingredients for the dog, and print the dog’s name on the cake, and then the family will sit around and sing a birthday song for the dog. In Hangzhou, there is a couple.After 1995, the couple run a dog clothing custom shop, which provides all kinds of high-end ready-made clothes such as suits, T-shirts, shirts, cloaks, pajamas and dresses, as well as exquisite accessories such as scarves, collars and hairpins. Not only that, but dog food has also been customized. The fresh food in the pet supermarket is rich and varied, which is no different from the healthy meal eaten by human beings. There are even many "shovel officials" who cook for dogs themselves.
In terms of pet entertainment, more and more shopping malls and restaurants have begun to implement pet-friendly policies, and people can freely go shopping and eat with strollers carrying pets. Travel agencies have also opened up pet tours, so that dogs can also have the opportunity to go out and enjoy the beauty of nature. The emergence of dog kindergartens has solved the problem of boredom and loneliness of dogs alone at home for office workers. The pet funeral service is also very intimate. It not only has a warm farewell ceremony, but also provides the service of sorting out the remains. The owners will leave the things that the pets liked before they died, so as to pin their thoughts on them.
A pet supermarket opened in Chaoyang, Beijing, and many dog lovers came with their pets. The scene was lively. China news agency Hu Qingming/photo
However, the high investment in pets has also caused a lot of controversy and accusations, especially for young people to keep pets. Some people think that the money for buying a wedding dress for a dog can buy winter clothes for parents, and the cost of holding a dog wedding can donate schoolbags for children in mountainous areas, and even think that raising a pet is not as good as raising children. However, some people who hold the opposite view think that everyone’s lifestyle should be respected, and most people keep pets within their own economic ability. Those who can take good care of their pets often have strong empathy and relatively good earning ability, and they rarely treat their parents badly.
Behind the hot pet economy, it reflects the psychological needs of some people, including young people, and the difficulties they face. Zhihu’s last high praise answered, telling the story of a solitary woman in her late forties. She grew up in a quarrelsome family. After dropping out of junior high school, she went out to work to earn money for her younger brother to study. The stray dog she rescued"Cotton" made her seem to see her cautious and eager to be loved when she was a child. So, she decorated the exclusive children’s room for Cotton and bought it beautiful clothes, just like making up for her loveless self when she was a child. Many young people keep pets in order to seek unconditional companionship.
Lin Xia, who lives alone in a rental house in Pudong, needs to spend every day.I commute for 3 hours and often work overtime until late at night. Once she had a fever, but she called her parents in exchange for accusations, while her golden hair "potato" gave her warm companionship when she was most helpless. "Potato" never asked about her savings, marriage and other issues, but silently stayed by her side, making her feel the warmth of home in a foreign land.
In real life, pets are more like an antidote to many young people. Many young people lack effective social channels before keeping pets. After keeping pets, they get to know many like-minded friends by walking dogs and participating in pet activities, and some even find life partners and enter the marriage hall. Many people with psychological problems have gradually healed their mental trauma with the company of their pets.
The rise of pet economy is a reflection of social development, which reflects the urgent need of young people for emotional sustenance. We should respect everyone’s love and lifestyle and understand the love that young people pour into pets. Because this love not only warms the pets, but also cures the young people themselves, so that they can find the motivation and fulcrum to persist under the great pressure of life. (writing/Mars)