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David Harcourt
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| Posts: | 1127 |
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Posted: 30 Apr 2007 12:54 am |
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Here is a story which was published around the world on 27 April:
Japanese fooled in poodle scam
Thousands of Japanese have been swindled in a scam in which they were sold Australian and British sheep and told they were poodles. Flocks of sheep were imported to Japan and then sold by a company called Poodles as Pets, marketed as fashionable accessories, available at $1600 each. That is a snip compared to the cost of a real poodle, which retails for twice that much in Japan.
The scam was uncovered when Japanese movie star Maiko Kawakami went on a talk-show and wondered why her new pet would not bark or eat dog food. She was crestfallen when told it was a sheep. Then hundreds of other women got in touch with police to say they feared their new "poodle" was also a sheep.
One couple said they became suspicious when they took their dog to have its claws trimmed and were told it had hooves. Japanese police believe that 2000 people could be affected by the scam, which operated in Sapporo and capitalised on the fact that sheep are rare in Japan, so many do not know what they look like.
"We launched an investigation after we were made aware that a company was selling sheep as poodles," Japanese police said.
"Sadly we think there is more than one company operating in this way."
The sheep are believed to have been imported from Britain and Australia. Many have now been donated to zoos and farms.
Poodles being bred for the Japanese market.
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David Harcourt
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Posted: 30 Apr 2007 12:55 am |
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Sadly, it seems that the poodle/sheep (peep/shoodle?) story is itself a hoax. Australia's Channel 9 reports that:
Police in Japan have denied knowledge of a scam where rich Japanese women who wanted a poodle as a pet were deceived into buying sheep.
English newspaper The Sun reported that Australian sheep had been sold to rich women as poodles by a company in Sapporo, Japan. The story has since been reported internationally by newspapers and websites in the UK, America, New Zealand and South Africa.
The Sun reported the scam was blown when Japanese movie star Maiko Kawakami complained on an unnamed talk show that her "poodle" was unable to bark or eat pet food. The newspaper said a police spokesman in Japan had confirmed the company, called "Poodles As Pets", had been shut down.
But a public relations spokesman for Hokkaido police, whose jurisdiction includes Sapporo, said he had not heard of the scam. The spokesman refused to elaborate on Kawakami's comments, as it "was not a police matter".
Details about Kawakami's statement also appear to have been misreported. Japanese-language blogs about Kawakami say the movie star actually told a story about a friend who bought a sheep instead of a poodle at a pet shop. Kawakami told the story on the Fuji Television show Gokigenyou. She said her friend took the "poodle" to a vet, who then asked her, "you think this is a poodle"?
A producer for the Gokigenyou told ninemsn she could not comment on the story's authenticity, as she was not Maiko Kawakami. But she said she had not heard about the 2000 other people reportedly scammed by the poodle bandits.
Tall stories are common on Japanese talk shows and their authenticity is not carefully checked. A Tokyo-based entertainment and culture reporter said she had not heard of the story. The story had not been reported in any Japanese newspapers, she said.
The Sun reported that because sheep were rare in Japan, people there were not able to distinguish between a sheep and a poodle. But sheep have been bred in Sapporo for many years. In 1848, an American farmer named Edwin Dun came to Sapporo to set up a sheep farm. Near to the hi-tech Sapporo Dome Sports Stadium is a hill called Hitsukigaoka, which means "sheep hill".
"If you like sheep, this is the place for you," a travel website says.
Tokyo resident Sakurako Sugata said she had not heard of the story before today. She said she didn't believe a word of it. âBuying a sheep instead of a poodle? It's ridiculous!" Ms Sugata said. "If you want to keep the sheep and cut it up and eat it, then that would be a good idea, but that story's just stupid. No-one with any intelligence would buy a sheep instead of a poodle."
That's Spot on the left, and Rover on the right.
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David Harcourt
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Posted: 30 Apr 2007 12:57 am |
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So why was everyone (including me) in such a hurry to believe this manifestly ridiculous tale?
I gently suggest that there are three reasons for this world wide epidemic of credulity:
1 - It was a very funny story. It deserved to be true.
2 - It was in fact partly true. Only a tiny part, certainly, but a tiny kernel of truth was there.
3 - The third reason may be found hiding somewhere among the following (true) statements about the Japanese:
* Their food is the best in the world; far, far better than better than French food, Italian food, Chinese food, or any other pretender to the title.
* Their gardens are the loveliest in the world; far, far better than English gardens or any other pretenders to the title.
* Their manners are the finest in the world, far better than those of any other pretenders to the title.
* They are terrified of anything which is in the least degree unfamiliar, and are all and without exception nuts or, to use a more apposite term, barking mad.
That's "barking mad" as in poodles barking. Japanese readers should know that sheep don't bark; not even in Japan.
Poodles like Spot and Rover, bred especially for the Japanese market, are carefully trained to defy gravity before they are sent on their long journey to the Northern Hemisphere. As the ship on which they are travelling crosses the equator, they are turned upside down. Pedigree specimens like these quickly adapt to their new environment.
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Dartangnanagain
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Posted: 30 Apr 2007 01:30 am |
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Are Spot and Rover for sale?
I want them both, I think Shortie would like them! Poached in a white wine sauce mabye!
You are right though I was VERY quick to believe this story. I told my Japanese friend about this and she didn't believe it for a moment. Not because she thought that people were too smart to be fooled by the scam, but because it was not plastered all over Japanese newspapers!!
I said it was my understanding that being very proud they would want to save face and cover it up, she said that was not the case. She said there is NOTHING that the Japanese like better than a good scandal and if a famous actress was involved it would be even better and would have been front page news on every publication!
She also told me that she herself had never clapped eyes on a sheep until she came to live in NZ aged 35. She has had many dogs though and feels sure she would have known the difference between a dog and all other animals. She said just about every Japanese family she knew had a pet dog!
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jaybee2003
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| Posts: | 272 |
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Posted: 2 May 2007 01:06 am |
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The sheep that didn't bark in the night..."
We currently have a dog that can't bark in the night - or day for that matter.
He is in lust. Or is it love.
And has been so vocal in letting the world know that he has barked himself totally hoarse.
In the past all female (working) dogs on the farm here were spayed as we had no wish to breed, but Richie being the Boss now, rather likes the idea of breeding dogs, so has kept most of his bitches complete. When they come on heat, our boofheaded easy going (male) labrador becomes a very different dog.
Currently one of the bitches in on heat. And Korb has a mission. Nothing will distract him from it either. He has spent the last two days around and or under her kennel. No way will he leave. No way will he let any other dog near her. He is on guard. No one will get near his lady.
Dragging him away is pointless because at the first opportunity he will find his way back there in the blink of an eye, or howl, driving us crazy, or break out of any kennel we lock him up in. Offering food or water - no - nothing will distract him. He is so in lust, he hasn't eaten for two days. He's staying put, full of hope, in anticipation an opportunity will arise.
If all goes to plan however, he's going to be right out of luck. Again. And, will turn up here probably tomorrow, much much thinner, very tired - and very smelly. He will not be coming inside the house until he has had a bath!
A photo from last years stakeout.....
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David Harcourt
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| Joined: | 31 Dec 1969 |
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Posted: 2 May 2007 09:45 am |
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Ah, life in the country!
What we townies miss!
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Current time is 02:58 pm |
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