China’s burgeoning population of pets has seen rising numbers of people on the mainland move into the unlikely business of animal investigations. They call themselves pet detectives and their bread and butter is finding lost domesticated animals, mostly cats and dogs. Almost exclusively self-employed, they promote their services on social media and e-commerce platforms.
Growing demand in recent years means many of them can now earn up to 30,000 yuan (US$4, 200) a month. The Post takes a closer look at this unusual occupation. While the notion of a pet detective might sound quaint, it can be a difficult job.
It takes particular qualities to sniff out a missing moggie or a disappeared dog. Stamina and a decent level of physical fitness are a must because animals can cover a lot of ground, and they tend to hide in hard-to-find places. Good eyesight, and, like any investigator, logical reasoning skills also come in handy.
A working knowledge of the technology used in modern-day investigations, such as thermal imaging cameras, is also useful. Liu Wei, a practising pet detective, told the mainland media outlet Chuangyezuiqianxian that the equipment needed for the job costs 20,000 yuan (US$2,800). Also, customers usually pay on the return of their pet, so the pressure is on to get a result.
Online searches using the key words “looking for cats and dogs” surged almost fourfold in the first half of this year, according to Xianyu, China’s largest used goods e-commerce platform,.
