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Bizarre: A pet retriever in China has been dyed
by its owner to resemble a tiger
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If this strange creature growled at you, you wouldn't know whether to
run from his sharp claws or pat him on the head and give him a biscuit.
From a distance, its striped orange and black coat makes it look like a particularly odd tiger.
But
it's actually a retriever, the victim of the latest craze among some
dog owners in China to dye their pets to look like other animals.
The
Chinese are always quick to embrace bizarre trends, and it is not
unusual for owners to take their dogs to grooming parlours where they
are not only given a shampoo and trim, but a multi-coloured dye job as
well.
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Doggy dye job: These small furry dogs look the spitting image of baby panda cubs
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Today the retriever was joined by three furry friends whose dye jobs were much more convincing.
The tiny, fluffy dogs were the spitting image of baby giant pandas thanks to their makeovers.
The animals were pictured after being transferred to Zhenghou from Southwest China's Sichuan province at the weekend.
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| Transformation: The dog appears unfazed by its new coat |
Recent figures show money spent on pets
across the nation has seen nearly a 500 per cent increase between 1999
and 2008 - but, arguably, at the cost of their pets' dignity.
Quite what the animals might think about it is another matter.
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On parade: The dogs were put on show after being transferred to Zhenghou from Southwest China's Sichuan province
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Confused: While some of the dogs didn't appear to be enjoying themselves, they were a hit with locals
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All images: Copyrighted by the China Foto Press/Barcroft Medi
Dog mess. 