As Tet nears, Hanoian families are paying to have their pets taken care of when they leave for their hometowns.

 Pet care services booming Tet in Hanoi

These services are fairly new to the country and have developed in recent years. In Hanoi, along the streets of Hoang Hoa Tham, Truong Dinh and Tran Dai Nghia, pet care centres have been full. Most customers have to book in advance.

Mrs. Phuong, the owner of a centre on Hoang Hoa Tham Street, said that this year, her establishment got more customers than last year and she had to hire more staff.

At the centres, the pets are normally given baths, have their nails cut and walked daily. Prices depend both on the level of service and the pets weight.

Some of these business have increased their prices by as much as 25% this year, running the owners around VND200,000 per day more than normal.. At some places, prices can reach VND300,000 per day for the first three days of the new year.

On Truong Dinh Street, the price of a luxury care service for dogs and cats is VND600,000 (USD28.6) per day, while mid-range kennel cost from  VND300,000 to VND400,000. On Bach Mai Street there are places that charge as much as VND1-1.5 million per day.

Ms. Hong Hanh, on Giang Vo Street, said she spent millions of VND to buy her dog, so she wants the best for it during the holiday.