Watch | Owners visit deceased pet’s grave to pay respects

Pet owners pay their respects at a cemetery near Beijing ahead of the annual Tomb Sweeping Day. Julie Noce reports.TEE EN PAY HON Tian Peiheng sweeps dust off the tomb of her beloved MAY MAY Meimei.The Pomeranian passed away five years ago, but Tian and her family make yearly trips to the cemetery for Tomb Sweeping Day to pay their respects.She lived with us for 10 years and was like my own child, she said. It was just like losing my own baby.Pet cemeteries are relatively new to the Chinese and pet ownership is considered a sign of financial success.Plots at this cemetery on the outskirts of Beijing range in price from about three hundred to seven hundred dollars, plus the price of gravestones and annual upkeep fees.But for pet owner and groundskeeper JONG YO WONG Zhang Youwang, the price is well worth it.It's hard for people without pets to understand, he said. When a dog dies, people need to visit a grave more than when a human dies because dogs are so loyal.