Choosing a career from love for pets

Those t"upper class" pet

Visiting a pet spa on a hot summer afternoon in late June, I was quite surprised by the number of staff and customers here. In a clean air-conditioned room, about 20m², 8 veterinary staff are diligently beautifying the "guests" which are 4 fluffy dogs. On average, each special "guest" will be served by 2 people, one person hugs and holds, one person performs nail cutting, hair trimming, untangling... Accordingly, all operations use specialized equipment in a meticulous manner, spa staff pay attention and take care of each toe, groom each hair, and examine every corner of the "customer". The common point of the staff is the gentleness and meticulousness in each operation. Perhaps that is why the attitude of the "4-legged guests" seems very satisfied, there is absolutely no loud barking or crying in the room as I had imagined before.

Pet grooming is an increasingly popular service. Photo: Diep Thanh

To the right of the spa room is a waiting room with about 10 more dogs obediently enjoying the cool, quiet atmosphere in their cages while waiting for their turn to be beautified. Finally, there is a bathroom with a smaller area, just enough to accommodate a stainless steel bathtub and a drying table. Mr. Pham Van Dat - employeeveterinaryWhile bathing a purebred brown Poodle, the groomer said: “Most of the pets who come here are used to using the service, so they are very cooperative. However, because cats are naturally afraid of water, bathing cats, especially kittens, will be more difficult, requiring extreme gentleness and calmness. In cases where it is too difficult, a bathing cage must be used to fix the position.” After being bathed and trimmed, the puppies return to their families with a new, clean, fragrant appearance, with fluffy, neatly trimmed fur.

Introducing the services of the pet spa, veterinarian Tran Dinh Tung said: “The popular service that owners of these pets often choose is bathing and trimming. In which, the bathing service fee is 60 thousand VND/time, the trimming combo fee is 200-300 thousand VND/time, including bathing, washing, shaving feet, cutting nails, sharpening nails, plucking hair in the ears, cleaning ears. Normally, dogs and cats are bathed after about 4-6 days and trimmed after 2 to 4 months, depending on demand. In big cities like Hanoi and Saigon, the service price can be twice as expensive. In addition, many customers can request some other services such as hair dyeing, nail filing... if they want.”

The "dressy" dogs with fluffy, bright fur. Photo: NVCC

In addition to spa services, the cost of food, checkups, and vaccinations for these pets is also very expensive, ranging from mid-range to high-end prices.

Ms. Le Thu Ha - owner of a pet food and supplies store in Vinh City shared: “Many customers are willing to spend from 3-5 million VND/month on pet food products, including nuts, pate, treats, etc. Not to mention the accompanying care products such as backpacks, toys, leashes, litter, shower gel, essential oils for fur, etc. which are also quite expensive. Vaccination services as well as medical examination and treatment are also invested in and cared for by pet owners.”

Pet products are rich in design and diverse in demand. Photo: Diep Thanh

In the past, many businesses combined many services at one location, but now, following the customer's psychology, the facilities separate spa and medical services. "In the past, we also combined medical examination and treatment and spa, staying in one store. But that led to a high risk of infection with respiratory, digestive, fungal diseases, etc., so now we only focus on spa and sales. Stores that want to provide both services must also divide them into different facilities so that customers can feel secure using them" - Ms. Ha shared.

With the advancement of science and customer demand, pet health care services are increasingly upgraded. Photo: NVCC

Mr. Tran Dinh Tung said that for customers who have pets, they do not hesitate to spend money on health care services, as long as they are reputable and of good quality. “Common diseases in dogs and cats are often related to respiratory and digestive problems. In addition, there are many cases of injuries such as cesarean section, bulging eyes, protruding intestines, broken bones, etc. due to accidents or fights. The cost of inpatient treatment at the clinic ranges from 150,000 to 250,000 VND/day and night, not including medicine. The most expensive cost is probably intramedullary nailing in case of bone fracture with a fee of up to 8 million VND/case.”

Opportunities to grow from love of animals

The diversity of services and prices shows that the development opportunity of this service is very large. Explaining the strong development of this service, Mr. Tran Dinh Tung said: “Recently, the target customers are young people and middle-aged people. Young people are rewarded or given pets by their parents because they want their children to limit their exposure to technology devices, practice emotions, care skills... Elderly people in families with few people, children working far away also choose to raise pets for companionship."

Pet groomers must be used to having scarred hands and the risk of catching fungus from dogs and cats. Photo: Diep Thanh

Customers who come to spa services and pet health monitoring are often those who consider their pets as family members and do not spare money to use suitable services. “Customers may have different family backgrounds, come from different provinces and districts, but they are all the same in their love for animals. I once met a customer dressed very simply, traveling from Con Cuong district to Vinh city, carrying a dog in a rice sack. Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, she and her husband and the dog returned home from the South together. When she learned that her dog had to stay for inpatient treatment, she quit her job and slept at the clinic all those days, on a folding chair, next to its cage with the reason: I don't want it to feel abandoned" - Mr. Tung said.

Or the story of veterinarian Le Thu Ha, who knocked on dozens of drugstores at midnight with a customer to find medical supplies for a cesarean section. The mother and her puppy were saved, and the owner considered Ms. Ha as the great benefactor of her life. “To do this job, in addition to professional knowledge and skills, love for animals is indispensable. Only by loving animals can you sympathize and share with customers, accept when you are unfortunately scratched by cats, bitten by dogs, or even infected with fungus from them, and be willing to clean up after them every day…” - Ms. Ha shared.

Pet care is a job with high growth opportunities in big cities. Photo: Diep Thanh.

In addition to the professional knowledge learned in school, facilities providing dog and cat care services must constantly strive to improve their profession, update new technology and skills. Investing in a 2-month dog and cat spa course worth 20 million VND, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen shared: “Taking care of dogs and cats is like taking care of children. There will be times when they are uncooperative, naughty, and irritable, and you need to be patient and stand all day, stay up all night, calmly get acquainted, be careful with every operation, listen to customers... It requires more sophistication, but compared tolivestock and poultry careBut pet care gives me a relatively high income and the opportunity to live and work in central areas."

Diep Thanh