Dating agencies help dogs find partners
By Li Fangchao (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-07 05:32

She added that they have a database of every dog that comes to the hospital, some 500.

"We select possible matches and contact the owners of the male dog, then comes the time for their blind date," she said.

"If they fall in love at first sight, the rest is simply a matter of time."

The owner of the female dog usually pays a mating fee because the owner of the "bride" will usually keep the puppies.

And Zhao charges about 10 per cent of that fee, which varies according to the breed of the dog. It is usually between 50 yuan and 200 yuan (US$6-US$24). "The nobler the breed, the more expensive it will be," she said. "And we won't charge if the female fails to get pregnant."

Ma Zhongyu, a director of the National Dog Association and vice-chairman of the Heilongjiang Dog Association, told China Daily that they have a group for dogs of pure and noble breeds.

"I know almost all the owners of dogs of pure breed here and in the country as there are not many of them," he said. "It is natural for owners to forge an intimate relationship with each other to ensure the purity of their pets."

Ma said that there are about a dozen dog breeding centres in Heilongjiang Province, producing about 45 breeds, from the commonly seen Beijing poodle to the rare Tibetan mastiff.

A pure breed dog from these centres usually has a chip inserted under its skin in its neck or ear, which records its family history and extent of purity, according to Ma.

(China Daily 11/07/2005 page3)