In America, man's best friend is most often treated like one of the family.
Specialty stores that offer the latest trend in 'doggie wear' are commanding great profits. Food companies are catering to the increasingly superior taste buds of our four legged friends and doggie day cares are sprouting up everywhere for those whose separation anxieties can no longer be tolerated by canine owners.
Often dogs are touted as hero's for saving the lives of their owners, for leading the blind and for becoming the right arm for owners who cannot use their own.
In Asian countries however, this is the farthest thing from the truth. Dogs are currently being
slaughtered by the thousands in China to prevent attacks on humans who then might possibly become infected with rabies.
Because dog meat is often seen as a delicacy in countries such as China, owners are not required to vaccinate their animals.
Many dog owners worry that if they use preventitive medicines such as a rabies vaccination Fido or FiFi will lose their sweetness leaving them with a foul tasting, inedible, unsellable animal.
"It make dog sour...no good...no ni skin," said one resident who claimed she ate dog soup daily as part of her
beauty regime.
Critics are outraged at this violent act, but for one young entrepreneur in China, it has become the silver lining in what many say is a very dark cloud.
Mi Gud Fortune, 27, recently opened a new restaurant franchise in hopes of turning a bad situation into a money making venture.
'Dim Sum Pooch', a buffet type venue, opened last week with a standing room only crowd. Fortune said it cost very little to open because of the surplus of pre-tenderized meat as a result of this hideous extermination.
"Government say quick...take dog...make bad newspaper people go away," said a smiling Fortune. "People love dog, make girl beautiful, make me rich man."
What does Fortune attribute his early success to?
"I give free doggie bag with every meal."