BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Around 4 p.m., the fourth door of the day swung open and out bounded a small brown poodle named Duoduo, tail wagging furiously, ears perked, eyes lit up with recognition. She knows this visitor.

It's not her owner, but the one who shows up when the owner is away. It's Xiao Lyu.

Xiao Lyu crouched down, letting the little dog leap excitedly into her arms. She ruffled Duoduo's ears, already knowing what comes next: a few eager sniffs at the food bowl, a quick circle under the table, then a sprint to the leash by the door.

By day, Xiao Lyu is a high school physical education teacher in Beijing. But outside of school hours, she works as a part-time pet sitter for families who can't be home. It's a role she stumbled upon after a deep personal loss in 2021, when her own dog, a companion of 17 years, passed away.

"When I show the animals kindness, they give it right back," Xiao Lyu said. "The feeling of being needed by them is truly rewarding." Caring for pets like Duoduo, she added, has been a comforting part of her healing journey.

She's not alone in her effort to care for furry companions. The surge in China's pet economy has turned pet sitting, once a niche sideline, into a sought-after gig for the country's young urbanites.

Around 2019, the role began gaining broader visibility, attracting those drawn to its low entry barriers, flexible hours and growing demand. For many, providing in-home feeding services on weekends or holidays has become an ideal way to earn extra income simply by spending time with cats and dogs.

Driving this trend is an explosion in urban pet ownership. By 2024, Chinese cities were home to more than 124 million pets and nearly 77 million pet owners. Over 70 percent of these owners belong to the post-80s and post-90s generations, highlighting how millennials and Gen Z are reshaping not just lifestyles but also the labor market.

At 7 a.m. in a high-rise office tower in downtown Shanghai, Ms. Li sat in the lobby, juggling a sandwich and her phone. Her brow was furrowed, not over work, but over her Samoyed, who hadn't been out since the night before. With a crucial morning meeting fast approaching, she had no time to spare. Within seconds, she opened a dog-walking app and placed a service request.

Such situations are becoming increasingly common in China's fast-paced cities, where long working hours and packed schedules make daily pet care a logistical challenge. The strain intensifies during holidays, when many owners travel or visit families, triggering a sharp rise in demand for at-home pet services.

The growing need has opened new doors. In Chongqing, 25-year-old finance worker Bai Xiao turned her love for animals into a side hustle in 2023. Through online pet-sitting platforms, she offers home visits and has quickly built up a loyal clientele.

Each appointment lasts about 45 minutes. She feeds the pets, tidies up, plays with them and documents everything with photos and videos, sending updates in real time to owners checking in from afar.

Holidays bring a tide of service requests. During the ongoing May Day break, Bai was on the move from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with barely a pause between visits. She earns between 60 and 100 yuan (between 8.3 and 13.9 U.S. dollars) per session.

Still, the work can be unpredictable. "It's very seasonal," Bai said. "On regular weeks, I might make around a thousand yuan a month."

Bai's experience highlights the growing pains of a rapidly expanding pet-sitting industry. While the sector is flourishing, a lack of oversight has made it vulnerable. The low barriers to entry mean many enter the field without formal training, leading to inconsistent service quality. Coupled with the absence of clear regulations, safety concerns have escalated, with reports of pets injuring caregivers.

In response, pet sitters are raising the bar by pursuing professional training and certification, often joining regulated platforms to enhance their credibility.

The pet economy in China is booming, with vast potential across pet care, veterinary services, and products. According to the 2025 China Pet Industry White Paper, the urban pet dog and cat consumer market reached over 300 billion yuan in 2024, growing 7.5 percent year on year.

As the market expands, experts argue that regulation and legal frameworks are becoming essential to ensure sustainable growth.