As families take to the roads during the festive season, their most cuddly members are left behind.

Pets are almost family, yet inconvenience and regulations prohibit them from getting on trains, buses or other modes of public transportation. They're allowed to fly, but only in the cargo compartment.

Pet care centers are banking on those regulations to make their services, which are becoming more popular in big cities, a necessity. High prices, however, go hand in hand with posh pet accommodations.

In Beijing's suburbs, there are several facilities, complete with playground, dormitory, washrooms and medical rooms. Love-Pet Garden, in Xiaotangshan, has 72 rooms.

"We can accommodate all kinds of pets, anything except tropical fish," said one manager.

However, this grand hotel has only 20 guests and is expecting 10 more in the coming days.

One deterrent is the cost, averaging around 50 yuan (US$6) a day. It varies by the breed and weight, but is generally too expensive for the ordinary salary-earning pet owner.

Another hurdle is the age-old practice of asking friends or relatives to pet sit.

So, "pet hoteliers" are touting professional management and convenience as the major virtues of their service.

There is no single name for such a service. Some call it a pet-nursing home, others a pet school -- which sometimes offers long-term residency for large dogs banned in many housing communities. But the service is most often found in pet hospitals or clinics, which usually offer it in addition to regular medical care.

"This is not an ideal scenario because sick pets can spread diseases," warned Gary Tao, deputy director of Companion Animal Research and Information Center (CARIC), a Beijing-based pet protection group.

CARIC advocates responsible pet ownership and lauds the local government for reducing dog registration fees from 5,000 yuan (US$604) to 1,000 yuan (US$1,208). The number of registered dogs has shot up to 410,000 citywide, which experts estimate represent 90 percent of the total.

However, there are still a lot that needs to be improved.

Permits for pets and pet-related businesses differ from place to place, often forcing operators to jump through hoops.

As a result, few have bothered to get all the licences and permits. And those that have must charge relatively high prices to recoup their investment.

Technically, Chinese cities do not have a single officially licensed breeder and only a few pet hotels and schools, but that has not prevented a vibrant underground economy of the pet business. What it has undermined is solid scientific data, on which policies and public discussions should be based.

"Owning a pet is very rewarding, but one must be fully aware of all the responsibilities that it entails," said Tao.

(China Daily January 15, 2004)