Dog and Puppy News & Blog

Dogs not just toys for luck
By MEERA VIJAYAN
The Star, 24 Jan 2006

JOHOR BARU: The sudden demand for canines this coming Year of the Dog has got animal lovers worried.

Chartered accountant and animal lover C. Kunathasan, 54, said dogs are not “toys” that one buys for good feng shui.

“People who don’t genuinely love dogs but just want the luck that dogs may bring should consider buying statues of dogs instead.

“If the dog is neglected after the Chinese New Year, then it becomes animal abuse,” he said.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor branch chairman Christine Chin said she had mixed feelings about the rise in the number of dogs bought or adopted recently.

“We are happy that there is so much attention on dogs this year, but we are also concerned that people may be buying dogs for the wrong reasons,” she said.

“For instance, when the movie 101 Dalmatians came out several years ago, it created a huge demand for Dalmatians.

“Two years later, we saw so many of those Dalmatians surrendered to the SPCA.” She urged pet shop operators to caution prospective buyers about the responsibilities that come with keeping a dog.

Chin said the SPCA receives almost a thousand animals a month, with 80% of the animals brought in by their owners who did not want them any more.

On people who want a dog just for luck, she warned: “Going along the same lines, if you buy a dog for luck and discard the dog later, you will be throwing away your luck, too.”

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Pictures taken on Malaysia K9 Day 2006 has been uploaded to

http://www.doggie.com.my/thumbnails.php?album=8

It’s the oldest story in the book: Robotic dog turns up on your doorstop looking cute and winsome, learns a few words and tricks, and then gets canceled just as you’ve gotten to love it.

As part of its ongoing cost-cutting and reorganization effort, Sony has cut its line of robotic Aibo dogs, along with another, more-expensive, humanoid robot called the Qrio, which was never sold as a product.

According to a company representative, more than 150,000 Aibos have been sold since they went on the market in 1999. But the overall company is in the midst of an historic belt-tightening, and the robotics unit didn’t make the cut.

“Our core businesses are electronics, games and entertainment, but the focus is going to be on profitability and strategic growth,” said Sony spokeswoman Kirstie Pfeiffer. “In light of that, we’ve decided to cancel the Aibo line.”

Sony’s $2,000 electronic dog had always fallen more in the gee-whiz category than into the realm of viable mainstream consumer product, though it has helped unleash dozens of lower-tech plastic knockoffs, as well as a few big-brand copycats.

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