The bear-faced cheek of circus' pretend panda

They are pandas oh no they are dogs!

Cuddly, furry with black ears, one could easily mistake them for pandas. But these innocent animals are dogs splashed with paint for a few quick bucks.

Visitors of a circus near Italian town of Brescia believed the Chow Chow dogs were a rare example of the Chinese bear, the Independent reported. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/dogs-painted-to-look-like-pandas-in-italian-circus-seized-by-police-9943143.htmlzed-by-police-9943143.html

Dogs were used at the circus where kids would be allowed to pose with the ‘rare’ breed of Chow Chow while the parents captured the moment for a fee.

Italian authorities seized the dogs from the circus after a receiving a tip off from locals. The originally white dogs were shipped in from Hungary and were in a good condition apart from watery eyes caused due to “continuous exposure to camera flashes”.

The circus secretary Riccardo Gravina, informed the police that the animals were not mistreated adding that, “They are like children to us.” He also stated that it should have been obvious that they are dogs.

The dogs have been returned but the team will not be permitted to use them at the circus.

A pet shop owner Hsin Ch’en, in china says he started the craze for such decorated dogs and now they sell for considerably more than the average Chow Chow.

“Ten years ago the natural instinct of a Chinese person was to eat a dog. Now we are like westerners and want one as a companion,” he said.

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