The former steel town of Anshan, China, is undergoing a remarkable economic transformation, shifting from its industrial past to become a leading hub in the "pet economy." Driven by nationwide demand, the city is reinventing itself as the pet-breeding capital of China.

• Anshan now supplies approximately 70 percent of China's pet dogs an industry that involved over 30,000 residents in breeding, trade, and services as of 2022.
• Deputy director of Anshan’s bureau of agriculture and rural affairs, Han Wei, stated that Anshan is the largest pet-breeding base in China, with 1.5 million dogs and cats bred and sold in 2022, projected to reach 2 million in 2023.
• The pet industry in Liaoning province, with Anshan as its hub, employed over 150,000 people and generated more than 30 billion yuan annually as of 2022.