World's most expensive dog is Sh171 million

Zhejiang, China:  An enormous Tibetan mastiff puppy has been sold for almost Sh171 million, smashing the previous record for the world's most expensive dog.

A property developer in China stumped up 12million yuan for the golden-maned one-year-old at a luxury pet fair in Hangzhou in the eastern province of Zhejiang yesterday. It was said to weigh 90kg and stand 80 cms tall.

A second, red-haired pup fetched Sh86million.

The dogs' breeder Zhang Gengyun told the Qianjiang Evening News: "They have lion's blood and are top-of-the-range mastiff studs.

"Pure Tibetan mastiffs are very rare, just like our nationally treasured pandas, so the prices are high."

Originally bred for hunting, Tibetan mastiffs have become a status symbol in China. Not true mastiffs, they were so named by Western visitors because it means “ big dog".

In 2011, one red-coloured Tibetan mastiff called Bug Splash sold for a reported Sh139million to a coal baron in the north of China.

-Mirror