By Daniel Miller


A pair of pampered poodles spring up on their hind legs to perform an awkward dance and welcome visitors to the world's wackiest pet show.

This is the three-day Pets Cultural Festival extravaganza in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province where everything you can imagine, and a lot you can't, is available for your four-legged friend.

China is now home to some of the most obsessed pet lovers in the world and owning a dog, especially an expensive rare breed, is a huge status symbol.

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Paws for applause: Two poodles stand up on their hind legs to welcome visitors to the annual Pets Cultural Festival in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province

Devotion: China is now home to some of the most obsessed pet lovers in the world and owning a dog, especially an expensive rare breed, is a huge status symbol

The show's slogan is 'a mutual zone for pets and residents' but humans were clearly taking a back seat and letting their furry friends take centre stage.

Immaculately-groomed pooches, dressed in extraordinary outfits, sniffed out the very latest in designer pet accessories.

Among the items on sale was a bewildering array of dog clothes with something for every size and shape from the tiniest Chihuahua to the burliest St Bernard.

A golden retriever has a good sniff of a winner's trophy after being voted best in its class while the dancing poodles continue to strut their stuff

Fashion statements: Pet owners dote over their small dogs dolled up in a selection of outrageous outfits including doggie jeans and even a doggie Union Jack T-shirt

Pedigree chums: A pampered pooch tests out the latest in designer dog beds while its friends model the latest wacky fashions

The festival boasts eight zones inlucing a sports centre, make-up street, movie room, pets club, knowledge site, clinic and even a pets theme park with its own ‘water world'.

Visitors can wonder at more than 40 types of small animals from all over the world at the 'rare animal show' while a cute puppy competition drew the crowds at the sports centre.

With a huge amount of pride at stake - impartial referees were brought in from Hong Kong to judge the fittest and the most beautiful dog.

The organisers held a series of several panel discussion and lectures to educate both pets owners and non-pet owning residents.

As an example of just how obsessed some rich Chinese people have become with pets, last year a coal baron splashed out an astonishing £1million on what is believed to be the worlds most expensive dog - a rare red Tibetan Mastiff.

VIDEO: Barking. ChinaNews capture the unusual dog show on camera...





source:dailymail