In recent months, cafe and pet owners have posted ads and CVs on China's version of Instagram, Xiaohongshu.

Jane Xue responded to one of these ads, submitting her 2-year-old Samoyed, named OK, as a potential employee for a dog cafe in Fuzhou, in southeastern China.

After conversing with the café owner, OK was groomed in preparation for her job interview before going in for a vibe check.

"The cafe owner watched OK for about an hour to see if she interacted well with customers and got along with the other four dogs," Xue told CNN.

OK's job application was successful, and on her first day, Xue said, "I feel it's just like parents sending their kids off to school."

Speaking with CNN, the 27-year-old PhD student said that she wanted OK to "experience a different life," as she and her partner are usually out on weekends.

"Sending OK to the café is a win-win. She gets to play with other dogs and won't feel so lonely," she said.

It may sound unconventional, but owners sending their pets off to work to benefit both parties is a growing trend in China. It's called "Zhengmaotiaoqian" in Chinese and translates to "earn snack money."

It's also proved beneficial for the businesses that employ the pets, as it allows the venues to charge a higher rate as customers visiting China's cat and dog cafés usually pay an entrance fee ranging from 30-60 yuan ($4-8.5) per person.

According to CBNData, China's state-linked financial paper, their first cat cafe opened in the southern city of Guangzhou in 2011, and the number of similar establishments has grown by 200% per year in the country.

Last year, there were more than 4,000 pet cafes in the country.