January 15, 2024 -- On January 10th, JD Super, the supermarket division of JD.com, hosted the inaugural “Pet Companionship: China’s First Pet Ceremony” in Beijing. The ceremony, co-organized with the IT Foundation, highlighted the importance of pet welfare and celebrated the deep connections between humans and their furry friends.
The event spotlighted extraordinary individuals and animals, whose stories of love, dedication, and compassion stood out among numerous submissions from pet owners and industry professionals. These inspiring narratives, spanning nearly five years, led the ceremony’s organizing committee to the selection of eight remarkable individuals as China’s Annual Pet People and three pets as Chinese Pets of the Year.
Chen Yunlian and her base for stray animals
Among the honored pet advocates were Chen Yunlian, who adopted over 5,000 stray animals; Zhou Hewei, the founder of a “Cat Village” caring for nearly 300 cats; Jiang Xingmei, who spent over a million yuan treating stray cats over 15 years; and Zhang Zheng, a veterinarian who has treated more than 50,000 cats and dogs. The lineup also included pet photographer Zhang Tianhang, compassionate stray animal adopters Ha Jirong and Jiang Xingmei, as well as Qiao Shijun, JD Pet’s category manager who was a driving force behind the introduction of a 15-day unconditional return service for pet food. Through their actions and spirit of compassion, these individuals have become the inaugural Annual Pet People.
At a glance
- Company
- JD Super
- Announcement
- Event
- Location
- Beijing, China
Key figures
- People recognized as China’s Annual Pet People
- eight
- Animals recognized as Chinese Pets of the Year
- three
- Stray animals adopted by Chen Yunlian
- over 5,000
- Participants in the Shopping Order Charity Initiative
- over 6.81 million
People
- Chen Yunlianpet advocate and stray-animal adopter
- Zhou Heweifounder of a cat village
- Jiang Xingmeistray-cat advocate
- Zhang Zhengveterinarian
- Zhang Tianhangpet photographer
- Ha Jirongstray-animal adopter
- Qiao ShijunJD Pet category manager
Products and programs
The “Cat Village” in Hebei province
The event also honored three inspiring animals: Barton, a three-legged police dog; Shaguo, a guide dog working alongside a blind doctor; and “Big Wolf,” a therapy dog aiding in the rehabilitation of autistic children. Their stories are a testament to the profound impact pets can have on human lives.
The guide dog “Shaguo” and its parent Zhang Ran
“The gathering is more than a ceremony; it is a call to action, uniting various sectors in the pursuit of better lives for pets. Moving forward, JD Pet plans to deepen its philanthropic efforts and work towards ensuring that every pet receives the care they need,” said the head of JD Pet, JD Super’s pet business, at the ceremony.
Since its inception in 2010, JD Pet has been at the forefront of pet welfare, launching multiple initiatives that provide essential care to pets. In June 2021, JD Pet joined JD Foundation and JD Finance to introduce the “Shopping Order Charity Initiative,” enabling consumers to contribute food to stray animals with every purchase made via the JD App. To date, this initiative has engaged over 6.81 million participants in supporting animal welfare.
Qiao Shijun (right), category manager of JD Pet
JD Pet is constantly exploring new ways to make pet care easier and more accessible for owners. Our initiatives, like the unconditional return service for pet food and the Ingredient Transparency project, are designed to provide pet owners with a better pet-raising experience, alleviate economic burdens, and reflect JD Pet’s commitment to pet health and responsibility.
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In brief
JD Super held a pet-focused ceremony in Beijing on January 10, recognizing eight people and three animals for contributions to animal welfare and human-animal relationships. Honorees included advocates, a veterinarian, a photographer and a JD Pet category manager; the animals recognized were a police dog, a guide dog and a therapy dog. JD Pet’s head said the business plans to expand its philanthropic work. The release also describes the Shopping Order Charity Initiative, launched in 2021 with JD Foundation and JD Finance, through which purchases on the JD App can support food for stray animals. JD Pet says the initiative has involved over 6.81 million participants. The company also cites its pet-food return service and Ingredient Transparency project as efforts to improve the pet-raising experience.
Key takeaways
- JD Super hosted the inaugural pet ceremony in Beijing on January 10.
- The ceremony recognized eight people and three animals for their roles and stories connected to pet welfare.
- JD Pet says its Shopping Order Charity Initiative has engaged over 6.81 million participants.
- JD Pet cited a pet-food return service and Ingredient Transparency project among its initiatives.
