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New York Times: "Once Prized Tibetan Mastiffs are Discarded as Fad Ends in China" PDF Print E-mail

The New York Times

 

ASIA PACIFIC

 

Once-Prized Tibetan Mastiffs Are Discarded as

Fad Ends in China


By ANDREW JACOBS

APRIL 17, 2015

 

BEIJING — There once was a time, during the frenzied heights of China’s Tibetan mastiff

craze, when a droopy-eyed slobbering giant like Nibble might have fetched $200,000 and

ended up roaming the landscaped grounds of some coal tycoon’s suburban villa.

 

 

But Tibetan mastiffs are so 2013.

 

 

Instead, earlier this year Nibble and 20 more unlucky mastiffs found themselves stuffed

into metal chicken crates and packed onto a truck with 150 other dogs. If not for a band

of Beijinganimal rights activists who literally threw themselves in front of the truck, Nibble

and the rest would have ended up at a slaughterhouse in northeast China where, at

roughly $5 a head, they would have been rendered into hot pot ingredients, imitation

leather and the lining for winter gloves.

 

 

China’s boom-to-bust luxury landscape is strewn with devalued commodities like black

Audis, Omega watches, top-shelf sorghum liquor and high-rise apartments in third-tier

cities. Some are the victims of a slowing economy, while others are casualties of an

official austerity campaign that has made ostentatious consumption a red flag for

anticorruption investigators.

 

 

Photo

tibetan mastiff nibble ny times gilles sabre 2015-4-17

 

Nibble, a Tibetan mastiff, was checked by veterinarians after being saved from the slaughterhouse

by a groupof animal rights activists. Other rescued mastiffs had suffered broken limbs.

Credit Gilles Sabrie for The New York Times

 


Then there is the Tibetan mastiff, a lumbering shepherding dog native to the Himalayan

highlands that was once the must-have accouterment for status-conscious Chinese.

Four years ago, a reddish-brown purebred named Big Splash sold for $1.6 million,

according to news reports, though cynics said the price was probably exaggerated for

marketing purposes. No reasonable buyer, self-anointed experts said at the time, would

pay more than $250,000 for a premium specimen.

 

 

These days, those mastiff breeders left in the business are suffering from overcapacity,

as it were. Buyers have largely disappeared, and prices have fallen to a small fraction

of their peak. The average asking price for desirable dogs — those with lionlike manes

and thick limbs — is hovering around $2,000, though many desperate breeders are willing

to go far lower.

 

 

“If I had other opportunities, I’d quit this business,” said Gombo, a veteran breeder in

China’s northwestern province of Qinghai, who like many Tibetans uses just one name.

He said keeping one of his 160-pound carnivores properly fed cost $50 to $60 a day.

 

 

“The pressure we’re under is huge,” he said.

 

 

Since 2013, about half the 95 breeders in Tibet have gone under, according to the

Tibetan Mastiff Association, and the once-flourishing Pure Breed Mastiff Fair in Chengdu,

in the southwestern province of Sichuan, has been turned into a pet and aquarium expo.

 

 

In some ways, the cooling passion for Tibetan mastiffs reflects the fickleness of a

consuming class that adopts and discards new products with abandon. Famed for their

ferocity and traditionally associated with free-spirited Tibetan nomads, mastiffs offered

their ethnic Han Chinese owners a dose of Himalayan street cred, according to Liz Flora,

editor in chief of Jing Daily, a marketing research company in Beijing. “Fads are a huge

driving force in China’s luxury market,” she said, adding that “Han Chinese consumers

have been willing to pay a premium for anything associated with the romanticism of Tibet.”

 

 


Nomadic families have long used mastiffs as nocturnal sentries against livestock thieves

and marauding wolves. A primitive breed with a deep guttural bark, they are inured to

harsh winters and the thin oxygen of the high-altitude grasslands; like wolves, females

give birth only once a year. “They have the power to fearlessly protect possessions,

human beings and livestock from any kind of threat, and people are proud of them,”

said Gombo, as a trio of dogs in his yard, tethered to stakes, lunged madly at a group

of strangers.

 

 

At the peak of the mastiff mania, some breeders pumped their studs with silicone to

make them look more powerful; in early 2013, the owner of one promising moneymaker

sued a Beijing animal clinic for $140,000 after his dog died on the operating table during

face-lift surgery. “If my dog looks better, female dog owners will pay a higher price when

they want to mate their dog with mine,” the owner told the state-run Global Times

newspaper, explaining why he had asked surgeons to alter the dog’s saggy mien.

 

 

Li Qun, a professor at Nanjing Agricultural University and an expert on Tibetan mastiffs,

said speculators were partly to blame for sabotaging what had been a healthy market.

But also, as prices spiraled upward, unscrupulous breeders began mating pure Tibetan

mastiffs with other dogs, diluting the perceived value of the breed and turning off

would-be customers. “By 2013, the market was saturated with crossbreeds,” Professor Li said.

 

 

News stories about mastiffs attacking people, some fatally, also dampened ardor for the

breed. Although not inherently vicious, Tibetan mastiffs are loyal to a fault, increasing

the likelihood of attacks on strangers, experts say.

 

 

In recent years, a number of Chinese cities have banned the breed, further denting

demand and perhaps contributing to the surge in abandonments.

 

 

The rescuers who saved Nibble and the others from an ignominious fate said the

conditions of the transport were appalling. Several of the mastiffs had broken limbs,

and they had not been given food or water for three days. By the time the dogs were

released from their cages — the volunteers eventually paid the driver for their

freedom — more than a third of them were dead.

 

 

“It makes you feel so hopeless because not even the police will help, even though

what these people are doing is illegal,” said Anna Li, who runs a hedge fund when

she is not organizing guerrilla operations to stop dog-packed trucks on Chinese highways.

 

 

Animal rights activists say many of the dogs are stolen by gangs who grab pets off

the street, while some have been sold off by breeders eager to unload imperfect specimens.

Judging from their swollen teats, several of the rescued female mastiffs had been nursing

when they were cast off, said Mary Peng, the founder and chief executive of the

International Center for Veterinary Services, the Beijing animal hospital that has

been treating them.

 

 

During her 25 years in China, Ms. Peng has seen successive waves of dog fads, which

invariably begin with speculative breeding and end in mass abandonment. “Ten years ago,

it was German shepherds, then golden retrievers, then Dalmatians and then huskies,”

she said. “But given the crazy prices we were seeing a few years ago, I never thought

I’d see a Tibetan mastiff on the back of a meat truck.”

 

 

 Patrick Zuo and Adam Wu contributed research.

 

Link to the original New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/18/world/asia/once-prized-tibetan-mastiffs-are-discarded-as-fad-ends-in-china.html?action=click&contentCollection=Asia%20Pacific&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

 

©The New York Times. April 17, 2015.

 

 

 
Tibetan Mastiff Rescue at ICVS- Your suport is needed! PDF Print E-mail

 

 

 dr. wang  mastiff shelter

ICVS veterinarian, Dr. Wang, examining a rescued Tibetan Mastiff at the shelter.

 

Every year hundreds of thousands of dogs are being slaughtered for

their meat, fur and skin in China. Many of these dogs are abandoned

strays, stolen pets and discarded dogs that could not be sold by breeders.

Kept in desperate conditions without food and water for days, the dogs

are loaded into cramped cages on trucks to be sent to slaughterhouses

across the country.

 

In February 2015, about 150 large dogs were found on a truck in

North China, destined for the dog meat markets. On board this truck

were 20 Tibetan Mastiffs. A group of volunteers rescued the dogs

and the surviving animals were sent to shelters in several cities in

North China.

 

ICVS is working with the rescue volunteers and a local shelter to

provide medical care and treatment and to find adoption families

for 8 of these beautiful Tibetan Mastiffs.

 

 

 

img 0559

"Blackie," rescued Tibetan Mastiff recuperating at ICVS after wound treatment and spay surgery.

 

The Tibetan Mastiffs under our care are in need of vaccinations,

flea and tick treatments, microchipping, neutering/spaying and

medical treatment and surgeries for injuries, wounds and other

treatable health issues.

 

ICVS is donating the skills and services of our veterinary surgeons,

veterinary technicians, administration and management staff and

our facilities in the care and treatment of these Tibetan Mastiffs

and the many stray/rescued/abandoned pets that we care for

every year. We need the help of the community to please donate

funds towards the cost of medical supplies, drugs, vaccines and

nutritious pet foods to care for these beautiful animals.

 

img 3316

ICVS volunteer, Karen Donaldson, and Ms. Zhang with rescued Tibetan Mastiff at the shelter.

 

Our rescue work and the plight of these amazing Tibetan Mastiffs

are featured in The New York Times (VPN required in China).

 

Please click HERE to read the full New York Times article on

the ICVS web site.

 

Donations may be made through Paypal on the ICVS web site:

www.ICVSASIA.com

 

Thank you very much for your kind and generous support!

Mary Peng

CEO & Founder

International Center for Veterinary Services

 

 

©2015 International Center for Veterinary Services. All rights reserved.

 

 

 
NEW ICVS Pet Blog on Thebeijinger.com! PDF Print E-mail

 

 

ICVS is delighted to announce our new pet blog on Thebeijinger.com

sig-tbj

 

LATEST:

 Beijing's Animal Markets and "Week Long Dogs"

 

ADDITIONAL BLOGS:

Large Dogs: Why the Fear?

 

Vaccinating Pets to Protect them and the Community

 

Dog Meat Culture vs. Modern Society in China

 

Plane Safety for Pets: Ensuring a Safe Journey

 

Dog Gone -  Leaving China with Pets

 

 

Packing a Pooch: Holiday Travel with Pets (and Importing Pets into China)

 

 

Adopting Pets in Beijing: What You Should Know

 

 

All You Need to Know about Dog Licensing and Law Enforcement

 

 

Expat Left Traumatized After Pet Beaten to Death in Front of Him

 

 

Dog Days are Coming: Prepare for 2014 Dog Registration Period

 

 

ICVS blog posts will cover practical advice and tips for pet owners and will appear weekly on Thebeijinger.com!

 

New blog posts will appear every Thursday evening. Please send in your requests for topics and questions about pet care and animal healthcare!

 

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 

 

 

 

 
Urban Jungle: Exotic Pets in Beijing PDF Print E-mail

 

 

 

monkeycityweekend


Urban Jungle: Exotic Pets in Beijing

 

Considering an exotic pet in the year of the Snake? Read the story in City Weekend to fully prepare yourself for keeping these special pets before bringing one home:

 

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/articles/blogs-beijing/bjpets/urban-jungle-exotic-pets-beijing/

 

 

 

 
CCTV News: Beijing Faces Growing Stray Cat Problem PDF Print E-mail

 

 

cctv news stray cat photo

Photo: CCTV.com

 

CCTV News: Beijing Faces Growing Stray Cat Problem

 

CCTV News report on the growing stray cat problem in Beijing and how Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is providing a humane and effective solution.

 

Watch the news report and interview with Mary Peng of the International Center for Veterinary Services:

http://english.cntv.cn/program/china24/20121224/102926.shtml#

 

Sign up for the free Trap-Neuter-Return workshops given monthly at the International Center for Veterinary Services!

 

 

 
The Atlantic Cities: Beijing's Feral Cat Problem Comes Back PDF Print E-mail

 

 

leaping cat reuters

Photo: Jason Lee/Reuters

 

The Atlantic Cities: Beijing's Feral Cat Problem Comes Back

 

Special report by Debra Bruno with interview of Mary Peng of the International Center for Veterinary Services (ICVS) on how Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is helping to combat Beijing's feral cat problems

 

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2012/02/beijings-feral-cat-problem-comes-back-vengeance/1328/

 

 

 

 
BON TV: Having Pets in Beijing (Part 1) PDF Print E-mail

 

having pets in bj pt1


BON TV: "Having Pets in Beijing" (Part 1)

 

Roseann Lake of BON TV interviews Mary Peng, Co-founder of ICVS, and Dr. Zenithson Ng, veterinarian consultant from the USA and participant in the Learning Exchange Program at ICVS on having pets in Beijing.

http://www.bon.tv/11/60/2030-having-pets-in-beijing-part-1.shtml

 

 

 

 
BON TV: Having Pets in Beijing (Part 2) PDF Print E-mail

 

pets in china pt2

 

BON TV: "Having Pets in Beijing" (Part 2)


Roseann Lake interviews Mary Peng, Co-founder of ICVS, and Dr. Zenithson Ng, veterinarian consultant from the USA and participant in the ICVS Veterinary Learning Exchange Program on having pets in Beijing.

http://www.bon.tv/11/60/2029-having-pets-in-beijing-part-2.shtml

 

 

 

 
CNN: Dye Jobs Disguise Chinese Pets PDF Print E-mail

 

 

pandadogcnn

Photo: Haolan Hong/CNN

 

CNN: Dye Jobs Disguise Chinese Pets


CNN interviews Mary Peng of ICVS on the phenomenon of dying dogs as other types of animals and to boost sales of pets by animal vendors.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2010/08/29/china.dye.dogs.cnn?iref=allsearch

 

 

 


 

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