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The video of the six dogs being forced to dress up as pandas has drawn a wave of public criticism, but the shop owner maintains that all the dogs in the shop are happy and healthy.
In the interview, the shop owner stated: "Dyeing dogs' fur to make them look like pandas is very common abroad. This is controversial in China because it's not common."
Previously, this owner even offered to charge 1,500 yuan to anyone who wanted to transform their dog into a panda, but pet owners were against this type of service.
The Chow Chow is a fluffy dog breed originating from Tibet. Their faces bear a striking resemblance to pandas, especially when their fur is dyed black and white.
This pet cafe, called Cute Pet Games, opened last month. Located in a shopping mall in Chengdu, Sichuan, the controversy began when staff posted a video of captured dogs dressed as pandas to attract media attention and social media buzz in China.
In the café, the "panda" wandered around playing with customers; the atmosphere was cheerful and relaxing. However, on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform similar to Twitter, many animal lovers also expressed their opposition to turning poodles into pandas.
Some people criticized the shop owner for doing this simply for personal gain. Alongside the critical comments, a few netizens mentioned that they or their friends had dyed their dogs' fur before and supported the shop owner.
The animal rights organization PETA has condemned the cafe's actions. A representative stated: "There are always risks involved in using dyes on pet fur; these dyes can be dangerous to their skin, noses, and eyes."
Dyeing dog fur always carries potential health risks for animals; fashion dyeing is only suitable for humans. The dyes can potentially harm the eyes, nose, and ears of dogs.
Despite the criticism, the owner insisted that the dogs were healthy and that the dye was harmless. He also shared that the reason he decided to dye the dogs look like pandas was because Chengdu is known as the home of pandas, and he felt there was a special connection between Chow Chow dogs and pandas.
