More preposterous doggie snacks, these imported from the US. Like the world needs 'real meat' doggie snacks, or like most dogs care about things like flavor. Of course here in HK you'd find some yappy little emperor pampered enough to turn down 'fake' liver (or anything less than truffled filet mignon for that matter) but I digress...

Perhaps they're going for a more kosher angle, with the Yiddish name and authentic liverwurst tang. One of those ideas that makes me wonder if the creators have any sense of humor. I assume they've got TV spots lined up as well, with a gravel-voiced, spittle-spraying spokesdog ... "And remember kidschsss - dogsss go wacko for sscchhhmackosss!" Then they squeegee off the camera, and cut to a mouth-watering pile of dessicated straps of liver. Fadeout. Magic.

Tags: cookie moon doggie spa, oddity

These are some the sumptuous spa treatments available at the Paw Palace in Causeway Bay. Quite the majestic logo by the way, cleverly incorporating the paw in to the crown - nice work. Our little Princess can start with clay pack therapy (I actually felt sorry for that terrier, doesn't look like much fun). Then its time for a microbubble jacuzzi bath (normal 'macrobubbles' are for peasants), and then finally some hair extensions for that 'Christina Aquilera Skank' look that's all the rage this season.

This poster hangs outside the largest pet store in Happy Valley. It exhorts us to get 'back to basics', and what could be more basic than your very own 200 lb. beowulf mastiff. If your definition of 'basic' is 'pony-sized killing machine with a cinderblock sized head', then this is the breed for you.

Contrary to popular belief in the US, Hong Kongers do not eat dogs, but In fact coddle and pamper them on a level unparalleled anywhere else (save perhaps rodeo drive or 5th avenue). Upscale dog spas and boutiques flourish here, as do dog only bakeries and salons. While yippie little pedigree dogs are still the rule, one still sees larger expensive breeds, especially in Happy Valley. There are malamutes and and pristine huskies, as well as the occasional afghan. Why anyone would subject a malamute - which is for all intents and purposes an arctic wolf - to a subtropical climate is beyond me, but then again people have no problem breeding shihtzus into noseless mutants. And of course dogs love nothing more than to be dressed in unbearably cute outfits, like the posh wedding couple below. Quite the fetching bride, to say nothing of the dapper bridegroom. I can't help but wonder what 'P.A.W.S.' stands for though. Pathetic Animal Worship Syndrome?