Former steel town purrs ahead on tail of 'pet economy'

Development plan

The success of Anshan is powered by rising pet ownership among urban Chinese, a trend partly driven by broader societal shifts, such as an aging population and declining marriage rates. Pet companionship is becoming more important and is unlocking the immense potential of the pet industry.

China's urban pet population reached 120 million last year — a 2.1 percent year-on-year increase — with the market for dogs and cats valued at 300 billion yuan annually, according to the 2025 China Pet Industry White Paper.

Mayor Wu Kaihua said in Anshan's 2025 government work report that the city will vigorously expand its pet economy, strengthen specialized markets and create a robust pet industry ecosystem. The speech was an official signal to the pet industry that the government will steer it toward systematic development and standardization.

Under Anshan's pet industry development plan, for the next five years the industry will be developed around the framework of "One Belt, One Base, and Three Parks". The city plans to create a dedicated pet economy belt along Qianshan West Road and a national-standard breeding base for dogs and cats in its Tiexi district.

The three specialized parks are: a pet supplies park in the county-level city of Haicheng, a pet food park in Tai'an county, and an ornamental fish park in Anshan's economic development zone.

As intelligent companion animals, cats and dogs are not mere commodities — they are beloved family members. With ownership expanding rapidly, authorities see an urgent need to fill the gaps in industry standards and laws and regulations.

In December, the technical committee for standardization of companion animals was established to provide guidance for pet disease prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment, boarding, training, and breeding management.

Anshan's Tiexi district last year launched "Anxin Pet", a digital platform that integrates blockchain technology to create unique digital IDs for pets.

The idea is to have traceable records of a pet's breed, health and origin. It will build a full life-cycle ecosystem for pets, covering breeding, medical care, testing and transportation.

"This marks a shift from low-end live animal sales to high-quality service offerings, with the goal of bringing transparency and trust to live pet transactions while supporting Anshan's goal of becoming a national hub for standardized pet e-commerce," said Shang from the Anshan Pet Chamber of Commerce.