When you visit a dog cafe for the first time, you’re going in with a few assumptions:
- That these dogs will constantly give you attention and play with you the whole time
- That you won’t have to spend extra money on dog food to actually play with the dogs
- That these dogs are, well, dogs.
The first two assumptions are usually disproved in the first five minutes. The dogs only seem to go to those with treats and you’re left feeling like you wasted your money.
At least these dogs were actually dogs, though.
‘Panda’ Pet Cafe In China Dyes Chow Chow Dogs Black & White To Pass Off As Pandas
As the headline says, a panda cafe in China has dyed the fur Chow Chow dogs to pass them off as pandas.
Called The Cute Pet Games, the cafe opened last month in the provincial capital of Sichuan, according to the Daily Mail.
The controversy began when the shop’s staff uploaded footage of its ‘panda dogs’ onto Chinese social media platforms to attract attention.
You can see the “panda” dogs here.
The cafe even offered a dyeing service to pet owners who wanted to change their dog’s look. He assured everyone, however, that the dye did not affect the animals.
Netizen reaction
Now, they might look really cute, because Chow Chow dogs are always cute, but many netizens have expressed anger and disapproval at what they view as animal cruelty.
“Those who really love dogs will not let dogs be dyed. I have seen dogs losing their ears as a result of it”, said one Weibo user.
Another said the store owners were harming the dogs for their own “entertainment”.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have also condemned the store, saying: “Dyeing hair may be fashionable, but only for humans who willingly have it done.
“There are always risks with using dyes on animals, to their fur, skin, nose, and eyes.”
You’re probably thinking, it’s just dye guys, chill. I dye my hair all the time and my ear only fell off once.
Yes, these comments may seem harsh, but they may have a point.
Irreversible damage
According to WashPaw, some dyes contain harmful ingredients like ammonia, peroxide, and para-phenylenediamine, a known carcinogen.
Research has shown that these ingredients can cause irreparable damage to a dog’s immune system. They also may cause allergic reactions, chemical burns, skin disease, and even cancer.
Yikes.
So, dyeing your pet dog or cat’s fur isn’t as innocuous as you think.
Cafe’s Response
In response to the online backlash, the owner of the cafe recently announced on the cafe’s Weibo page that it will cease its dyeing services indefinitely.
(Reminds me of a restaurant in Singapore)
He later explained that they simply wanted to distinguish themselves from their competitors:
“We wanted to do something different, to differentiate us from other regular dog cafes and pet shops.”
He also defended his choice to dye the Chow Chow dogs:
“As their owners, their lives are much better than ours. They are also very healthy. Netizens please don’t project your thoughts onto us.”
I personally hope dogs take over the world one day and create a human cafe, with this panda cafe owner being the main attraction.
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And if he ever complains about it being inhumane, the dogs can simply say
“Human, please don’t project your thoughts onto us”.
