My family and other animals

High maintenance

Pet maintenance may not work out that much cheaper compared with bringing up a human child, if the owners, like Leung, are into heavy-duty pampering of their beloved pooch. The Airside branch of the hairdressing chain Il Colpo offers dog-grooming services that could cost as much as HK$5,800 a session. For the same price, the salon offers a cut, highlights and hair treatment to its human clients.

In 2019, Rosewood Hong Kong launched a pet staycation program that has since been discontinued. Their menu for dogs featured braised Australian beef, farm-raised pork confit, four-rice risotto and semolina dry pasta — items that sound good enough for human connoisseurs of fine dining.

Owners wheeling their pets around in strollers is a common sight in Hong Kong, though such a practice is partly owed to the so-called pet-friendly shopping malls that prohibit dogs from walking on their floors.

Interestingly, however, a 2023 paper titled "Traveling with Pets: Designing Hospitality Services for Pet Owners/Parents and Hotel Guests", published by the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, found that the tendency to pamper one's pets is often a result of marketing campaigns. It argues that the projection of human attributes on four-legged animals usually begins under the influence of a third party. When pet owners fall for a new product or service that hits the market, it's only a matter of time before a trend is set.

Wong says excessive pampering of pets might in fact be counterproductive.

"It's understandable that childless couples see pets, especially small breeds that look vulnerable and require protection, as objects to shower affection on. But at the end of the day, they remain animals. They need to be left to their own ways and not pampered like this," says the psychologist. "They simply do not care where you take them for afternoon tea. They'd rather be running around on a trail or enjoying the comforts of their own space, surrounded by familiar smells."

Canine experts, too, caution against excessive pampering of pet dogs in foster homes as it could lead to behavioral issues, seriously hampering a fostered animal's chances of finding a home.

Jen Chan, founder of nonprofit animal rescue organization Paws United Charity, says it is not hard to imagine first-time dog owners or fosterers dressing up the animals in their care in fancy collars. Most often, such behavior could be traced back to the fosterers' childhood experiences of being coddled by their parents.

"But dogs don't care for or need any of that; they need exercise and a sense of security. If you push them around in a trolley or carry them, they will always seek your attention and may even develop separation anxiety," Chan points out.