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News from Japan
Thousands of rich Japanese women were conned into believing lambs were valuable miniature poodles.
Flocks were imported from the UK and Australia to be sold by an Internet company as the latest "must have" pet. The scam was rumbled when movie star Maiko Kawakami complained on a talk show that her new poodle refused to bark or eat dog food. She showed photos of the animal and was devastated when told that it was a lamb, reports the Sun. Hundreds of women contacted police to say that they had also been sold lambs instead of pedigree pups by the con artists based in Sapporo. One couple found out the truth only after a dog beautician told them she could not trim their poodle's claws -- because they were hooves. The company, whose name translated as Poodles As Pets, has now been shut down. Bosses took advantage of the fact sheep are rare in Japan and most people do not know what they look like.
And so on.
Thousands of rich Japanese women were conned into believing lambs were valuable miniature poodles.
Flocks were imported from the UK and Australia to be sold by an Internet company as the latest "must have" pet. The scam was rumbled when movie star Maiko Kawakami complained on a talk show that her new poodle refused to bark or eat dog food. She showed photos of the animal and was devastated when told that it was a lamb, reports the Sun. Hundreds of women contacted police to say that they had also been sold lambs instead of pedigree pups by the con artists based in Sapporo. One couple found out the truth only after a dog beautician told them she could not trim their poodle's claws -- because they were hooves. The company, whose name translated as Poodles As Pets, has now been shut down. Bosses took advantage of the fact sheep are rare in Japan and most people do not know what they look like.
And so on.