Dyeing Dogs — A Trend Sweeping Asia?

You may not actually own a baby panda, but with the right dog and a little dye, you can fool people into thinking you do.

As recently as 10 years ago, dogs were raised as food in Taiwan. But now many Chinese see that as a shameful reminder of a less-prosperous time and are embracing man’s best friends as companions, instead.

These days, it’s not uncommon to see dogs brought into restaurants (where they aren’t part of the menu), dressed up in silly clothes, and — yes — even dyed. While dyeing animals has been part of Asian pet pampering for some time now (there was even a dog-dyeing competition at last year’s Pets Show Taipei), making them look like wild animals is a newer trend.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my.

[CNN]