Weifang Daily Weifang Media News With the improvement of people's living standards, pet owners pay more and more attention to their pets. "Cats and dogs" have changed from the original mouse-catching cats and guard dogs to "fur babies" held in their arms, which has also driven the development of the pet industry. Is the daily life of a pet beautician fun, and what are the career prospects? Recently, reporters paid a visit.
The daughter of Ms. Wang, a resident of Lufa Mingcheng Community in Weicheng District, lives abroad. She and her husband are usually the only ones at home. After retirement, she raised a teddy dog to pass the time. Not only does she dress her pet dog up and dress it up beautifully, she also takes it to the pet shop for grooming on a regular basis. "A small pet is like your own child. Dress it up and you will be in a good mood." Ms. Wang said that the weather is hot in summer. In addition to beauty treatments, she also bathes frequently. Every year, she applies for a bathing card for her pet dog.
There are not many people who treat their pets like Ms. Wang. Mr. Li, a resident of Hengda Mingdu Community in the High-tech Zone, keeps a Schnauzer, and he regularly takes his dog to the pet shop for grooming. "I like small animals. If it follows me, I will dress it up." Mr. Li said that people love beauty, and small animals are no exception. For him, pet grooming shops are as indispensable as barber shops.
With the increase in customer demand, pet beauticians have gradually entered the public eye and become a popular industry in recent years.
26-year-old Jiang Haolong has been a pet beautician for six years and now runs an Aita pet shop in Weicheng District. During the reporter's interview on the afternoon of April 11, Jiang Haolong was styling a Bichon Frize. He first bathed, then dried, and then styled the dog, step by step.
Jiang Haolong said that in recent years, more and more customers have been grooming their pets, which usually involves basic care, bathing, and styling. A grooming session for pets costs about 80 yuan. It is extremely busy during holidays, especially before the Spring Festival. "Customers like to dress up their pets beautifully, and cut their nails and trim their hair on time." Jiang Haolong said that many customers bring their pets for styling once a month. Teddy dogs, Bichon Frize dogs, and Schnauzers are the most commonly used pet dogs.
In March this year, Jiang Haolong obtained the A-level pet beautician certificate. In his opinion, this will be recognized by more customers. He believes that only through continuous learning can one improve his level.
Jiang Haolong said that as long as he is a pet beautician, no one’s hands are completely without scars. It is common to be scratched or bitten by cats and dogs. In the case of insufficient manpower, even if you are injured, you still have to endure the pain to complete the beauty work. When asked why he still likes this job despite being injured, Jiang Haolong said that it all stems from his love for small pets. Whenever he bathes or grooms kittens and puppies, he feels it is a kind of enjoyment. He likes to deal with small animals from the bottom of his heart.
Jiang Haolong is 1.88 meters tall. He needs to bend down when doing grooming services for pets. His waist often hurts all year round. "It takes about two hours to give a pet a beauty treatment. During this period, I need to bend down, which makes me very tired because I am tall." Jiang Haolong said that many people in their profession have poor gastrointestinal problems because they cannot guarantee to eat on time. Sometimes customers come to the store during lunch time, and they have to wait until they are done with their work before eating lunch. It is common to only eat two meals a day during busy times.
Near Dongli Mall in Kuiju Street, Changyi City, Li Di has built her Mino Pet Professional Care Studio into a "ten-year-old store." She has been in the industry for 11 years and enjoys the joy of this job every day.
Li Di majored in teaching at university. She has a big dog that has been with her for many years. In order to better take care of it, she has been involved in pet-related industries since she was a student. She studied in many pet shops and found that many employees had no professional skills and simply did it as a job.
Li Di didn't want this. She went around to study with teachers and continued to study on her own, learning a skill. Today, she is a national senior pet grooming and management technician. In 2022, she won the FGKG Cat Care Special Award and the Special Creative Award in the Senior Group of the National Pet Beautician Professional Skills League...
Li Di's pet shop has long implemented a reservation system and declined "airborne" customers. She and her two friends are busy every day. "We specialize in mid-to-high-end private customization, and we will design a shape that is more suitable for the pet according to the owner's requirements or the pet's body shape." Li said, because the refined operation takes more time and energy, this kind of customized shape can be done up to two or three orders a day.
Li Di doesn't care about quantity. In her opinion, just the process of bathing and trimming cats and dogs is a stress-relieving process. Seeing each unattractive "furry child" become fresh and cute after being groomed by skillful hands, she has an inexplicable sense of accomplishment and gains happiness from her work.
According to industry statistics, there are currently more than 100,000 large-scale pet stores across the country, each requiring three to five employees. Today, the number of pet stores in many areas is still increasing by more than 10 per month, so the number of employees in this industry increases proportionally every year.
Currently, employees in the pet industry have passed skills certification and are divided into three levels: junior, intermediate, and advanced. Among them, the monthly income of junior level is between 3,000 yuan and 5,000 yuan, that of intermediate level is 5,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan, and that of advanced level is more than 10,000 yuan. "In this industry, it is relatively easy to find a job with a certificate, and it is easier to gain the trust of pet owners." Li Di reminded friends who want to enter the industry that there are many organizations that issue pet beautician certificates. Before applying, you should carefully screen, choose a formal organization, and get a certificate that is truly authoritative and valuable.
In Li Di’s view, the development prospects of pet beauticians are very good. Last year, she obtained the professional competency evaluation certificate issued by the China Light Industry Federation. "Many people don't know that with this certificate, there are benefits in terms of promotion and salary increase, retirement subsidies, points settlement, application for affordable housing, etc. You can also apply for government subsidies for high-skilled talents, and you can also receive support when applying to establish a master studio." In the 2023 Pet Beautician Professional Skills League, she and her studio partners won the gold medal training institution listing in one fell swoop, one of only 27 in the country.