Pet detective services grow in China as cat and dog ownership rises, and experience counts more than hi-tech tools, says a veteran of the business
- Pet detective services are riding high as the popularity of companion animals increases rapidly in China
- A former chef who entered the business several years ago says experience is his most valuable tool, and describes the pressures and satisfaction of his job
It could have been a scene from a Sherlock Holmes novel; two intrepid sleuths arrived at an apartment building, one with a flashlight in hand, the other with a device for finding their charge. They began scanning the place for life.
Soon enough, they have covered the entire building, marking where they found hair and prints. Diligently, they have inferred the movements for the past two days of the fugitive they were tracking.
Within two hours, they close the case. Hot on the trail, they spot the escapee – a missing cat – which they carefully detain and return to its worried owners.
A technology blogger who wrote about their mission described a cottage industry that has mushroomed across China: pet detectives, who will leave no stone unturned to return missing companion animals to their rightful owners.
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Chinese pet detective helps reunite lost furry friends with owners
When his roommate hired the team of pet detectives in question to find the cat, the blogger wrote in February: “We had underestimated how professional they were”.
One such gumshoe is Wu Jiangang, a pioneering pet detective in Shanghai who started his business in 2013.
