The Huskies were excited to meet their owner, the cafe staff said. | Courtesy: Douyin
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- 100 Huskies escaped a pet cafe located inside a mall in China after a customer left the door open.
- Staff spent the next hour rounding up the dogs that had taken over the shopping centre in Shenzhen, Guangdong.
- The craze for pet cafes has grown exponentially in the country, with 3,638 such establishments opening in Shanghai in 2020.
A Chinese mall was temporarily overrun by 100 Huskies after a pet cafe’s customer accidentally let the door open. The incident occured on March 12 at a shopping centre in Guangdong province’s Shenzhen city, while the establishment’s owner was visiting the dogs after a long time – causing an adrenaline rush.
The cafe’s staff were able to round up the dogs, however not before some chaos ensued, according to the platform Xigua Video.
“All the huskies ran out of the cafe,” said. Huo, a member of staff. “It’s very lucky they were found so soon.”
The dogs were reportedly excited to meet the cafe’s owner but the reason for their delight was shortlived as a patron arriving later forgot to close the door on their way in.
It took the staff about an hour and help from shoppers to usher all the 100 Huskies back into the restaurant. A female employee involved in the chase assisted Huo, who was left searching for a few daring ones that had escaped farther than their fellow canines.
Since the dogs were not familiar with the rest of the shopping mall, they eventually got disoriented and had only one way home.
Later, they were treated to chicken legs as “punishment” for the big escape, the staff said.
Pet cafe culture has found an overwhelming acceptance across China over the past few years, with some 3,638 springing up in Shanghai in 2020 alone. At these restaurants, people can interact with animals while enjoying food or drinks.
Different places offer their own, unique experience. Customers pay up to 200 yuan (Rs 2,349) to spend an hour with their favourite animals, as per Xifei Daily.
