A zoo in China sparked claims of animal cruelty after dying the fur of puppies to make them look like panda bears.
According to the New York Post, the dogs were exhibited at Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province, where guests were met with the Chow Chow puppies, a Northern China dog breed, who were groomed and dyed black and white. While adorable, the display was considered extreme, considering that the dogs were strategically dyed, trimmed, and placed in the sanctuary from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Per the Post, guests accused the zoo of animal cruelty.
"There are no panda bears at the zoo and we wanted to do this as a result," a rep for the zoo said in a statement.
The rep also defended the dogs' hair being dyed, as some humans dye their own locks. "People also dye their hair," they explained. “Natural dye can be used on dogs if they have long fur.”
Chinese zoos have been criticized in recent months after another bear enclosure was rumored to be inhabited by humans dressed as Malaysian sun bears. The speculation came after a bear was seen standing on its hind legs at the Hangzhou Zoo in Eastern China last August, but zoo officials denied that the animal was in fact a human being.
