There is nothing some dog-lovers will not do for their adored pets.
But one woman in southeastern China has taken that love to literally ridiculous heights.
The besotted dog owner hired two men to carry her pampered pooch up a mountain in a sedan chair, and paid 980 yuan (US$134) for the pleasure.
A video clip shared online by a tourist shows a cute, white dog being lifted by two men to scale the Sanqing Mountain in Jiangxi province.
Its owner said she had two dogs with her, but one was unwilling to climb. As a result, she was forced to use the sedan chair service.
“I would begrudge spending so much money on myself,” the woman said.
A manager at the Sanqing Mountain tour company said they do not usually allow dogs into the tour zone, but this rule can be relaxed if owners guarantee the pet will behave.
“We do not intervene in the prices of sedan chair service. It is set jointly by the workers and the customers,” the manager said.
Online observers were divided about the woman’s actions.
“It seems that this dog is nobler than human beings,” one person said.
“Do you not think it is insulting for the two workers to serve a dog?” said another online observer.
Others took a different view.
“The workers and the woman agreed. Double win. No problem,” a succinct and to the point person wrote.
“I feel sorry for sedan chair workers who have to carry heavy tourists. This dog is lighter than most people, so it’s a better deal for the two men. I hope they receive more such requests,” said another.
Quirky stories about dogs often captivate mainland social media.
Earlier this year, a five-year-old girl in Jiangsu province, eastern China, played at being a vet and gave a “medical check-up” to her dog complete with a cardboard CT scan machine her father had made.
Also, a man in southeastern Guangdong province calls himself his pet dog’s maid, driver and financial supervisor because his monthly salary is only 3,000 yuan (US$400) while his Golden Retriever earns 18,000 yuan for appearing in adverts.
