A multi-millionaire Chinese coal baron has purchased Big Splash— an eleven-month Tibetan mastiff— for the staggering sum of 10 million yuan ($1.521 million or £945,000). These dogs are considered status symbols for the emerging class of newly rich Chinese. Many consider them to be a pure “Chinese” breed and note that the dogs are rarely found outside of Tibet.
Big Splash is nearly 3-feet tall and weighs more than 180 pounds. The price of Tibetan mastiff puppies has skyrocketed over the past couple of years from 5,000 yuan to hundreds of thousands or even millions.
Though it may sound callous, the new owner may consider the dog to be a sound investment. Other breeders may recruit Big Splash’s services (he’s male) and pay up to 100,000 yuan per “sample.” The dog’s breeder thinks the man could recoup his investment in a couple of years.
“The price is justified,” Lu Liang, who raised the dog, said. “We have spent a lot of money raising this dog, and we have the salaries of plenty of staff to pay.”
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