SHANGHAI — It’s Monday afternoon at a riverside park in Xuhui District. Some people are taking a walk along the walkway. Some are chatting on a bench and looking at ships on the river, playing saxophone, or doing tai chi. Some younger visitors are skateboarding and picnicking with friends. And other visitors are chasing each other and wrestling, sniffing each other’s butts, or barking at … Continue reading Even On a Leash, They’re Happy to Be Outside
SHANGHAI — While walking through a busy pet show, Chen Xiaorong found solace and stillness in one particular stall: It was called “Memory.” The pavilion at The One Pet Show (TOPS), held over the weekend in Shanghai, was a homage to some beloved pets that had died. Inside a glass cabinet were toys, combs, and other items that once belonged to the animals, left by … Continue reading Inside a Shanghai Pet Show, a Space for Memory and Connection
SHANGHAI — At a rehabilitation center on the outskirts of Shanghai, a mini talent show is about to begin. Eight dogs and their owners are lined up outside a small function room, waiting for their names to be called. One by one, the pooches scamper into the room and perform a series of tricks: shaking hands, jumping through rings, and pretending to pray. Before long, … Continue reading China Goes Barking Mad for Therapy Dogs
SHANGHAI — Dozens of dogs were on their best behavior Sunday afternoon as they lined up before a judge to find out if they would qualify for the designation of “therapy dog,” a relatively new concept in China. Most of the gaggle of onlookers were pet parents who had enrolled their fur babies in a rigorous training class in hopes that the animals would be … Continue reading Celebrity Streamer Throws Shanghai ‘Therapy Dog’ Course a Bone
Du Fan had made plans to travel north and spend the Spring Festival holiday with friends amid wintery scenes of ice and snow. Instead, during a viral epidemic that began in his hometown Wuhan, Du is roaming a deserted city to break into strangers’ homes and rescue their pets. As the city — the capital of central China’s Hubei province and the epicenter of an … Continue reading Pets, Abandoned and Blamed, Struggle to Survive Virus Outbreak
When East Meets West 