Chinese Zoo Panned For Exhibit Featuring Dogs Dyed to Look Like Pandas

Dogs dyed black and white to mimic panda cubs are pictured at Cute Pet Games cafe in Chengdu, China on Oct. 23, 2019. STR/AFP via Getty Images

A Chinese Zoo has been accused of “false advertising” after displaying two dogs dyed black and white to look like pandas.

The Taizhou Zoo in Eastern Jiangsu Province advertised a “panda dogs” meet-and-greet session as one of the activities to attract visitors. However, some visitors found the two four-legged animals in the display area much smaller than pandas.

“The Panda Dog is not a specific purebred dog, but rather a pet dog that looks like a panda,” read the introduction beside the exhibit.

“This designation is often used to describe dogs that are trimmed in a specific style or are born with a coat distribution similar to that of a panda. They are typically characterized by a white undercoat with black markings, especially around the eyes and ears, mimicking the facial features of the panda.”

A video circulating on Chinese social media shows tourists talking about the two four-legged animals, with some saying that they are fake pandas.

The two “panda dogs,” named “small soup dumplings” and “small beancurd strips,” were Chow Chow dogs dyed black and white, Liu Qiuming, a staff of the zoo, told Chinese state media.

The display has been open to the public since May 1. The zoo does not have any pandas yet.

There is no separate fee to visit the “panda dogs” since the cost is included in the zoo admission. The entrance fee is 20 yuan ($2.77) for an adult, 10 yuan ($1.39 ) for a child over 1.4 meters in height (4 feet 7 inches), and free for children under 1.4 meters.

While some visitors criticized the zoo, Taizhou City’s supervisory department responded that the zoo did not label the “panda dog” as a “panda,” so there was no false advertising, but rather a “marketing ploy” by a zoo that did not have the qualifications to introduce pandas.

When asked why the zoo displayed “panda dogs,” another staff cited a lack of pandas.

“[We] do this in a wish to fill the gap. It’s pretty crowded right now and you need to wait in line [to see the panda dogs]. You can see [them] from 8:30 in the morning to 5:00 p.m,” they said.

The two “panda dogs” had already been dyed when they were bought by the zoo, according to the staff. Whether they will continue to be displayed as “panda dogs” or to be properly named as “Chow Chow dogs” is “to be decided by the management.”

Chow Chows are one of the oldest breeds of dogs from northern China. They are named for their lion-like heads.

This is not the first such incident in China.

Dogs dyed black and white to mimic panda cubs are pictured at Cute Pet Games cafe in Chengdu, China on Oct. 23, 2019. STR/AFP via Getty Images

In 2019, the Cute Pet Games Cafe in Chengdu, the capital city of central Sichuan Province, displayed six Chow Chow dogs that had been successfully “transformed” into pandas. The dogs, all dyed black and white, sat or lay down for customers to admire and take photos.

The store also offered to color dogs into pandas for a fee of 1,500 yuan ($207.84) per dog.