Pampered Pooches (2004-04-27)
The amount of money and effort some Japanese spend on their dogs is mind-boggling. Some dogs are truly expensive. A miniature dog with brown curly hair I saw in a pet shop sold for a whopping US$12,000. I don't care how unusual that breed is, but you can get a car for that price. And the accessories people cover their dogs with are also amazing. Designer collars are quite popular among well-to-do owners, some even put genuine jewelry such as pearl necklaces and gold chains on their pets.
When it comes to food, there is the essential top-grade meat
for
those spoiled pooches as well as doggy desserts,cakes and cookies that
one can buy at
special pet shops. Some restaurants welcome canine diners as much
as they do humans which of course have separate menus for dogs. Now
that you can eat with your dog, sleep with your dog, why not bathe with
it too? There are onsen (hot-spring) resorts that cater to such
need. A love-struck master can now enjoy a nice hot bath in
mineral
rich water with their pet.
Well I guess when you have more money than you know what to do with
it, you might as well spend it on your beloved pooch. It makes
the owner happy, boosts the economy and benefits the dog (most of the
time). It is true that in much of Japan, a dog's best friend is
man. Woof!
Final note: Please consider adopting a pet from your local
pound or animal shelter before spending hundreds or thousands of dollars buying
one. Stray dogs and cats need a loving home and your help, give
them a second chance in life and give yourself the chance to save a life.
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