BackStories » Saigon » Saigon's Exotic Dog Owners Spend $25,000 on Their Pets

Saigon's Exotic Dog Owners Spend $25,000 on Their Pets

While big, fluffy hunting dogs have become so popular they're likely to stop traffic in Saigon, the cost of raising these cold-weather pets in a tropical country is enough to give you a heart attack.

Case in point: Saigon-based pet owner Le Chinh dropped US$25,000 to bring an Alaskan Malamute dog from the United States to Vietnam, reports Zing. Not only did Chinh have to fork over thousands of dollars to purchase the pet, training his temperate-climate dog to adapt to Vietnam’s tropical weather forced the pet owner to take on plenty of additional expenses, including higher electric bills thanks to heavy air-con usage and a strict diet of imported food for his canine companion.

Beyond maintaining an Alaskan climate for his dog, Chinh and other owners of exotic canine breeds must go to great lengths to care for his pet's fur, which requires a specialized comb and regular dry baths. After all his efforts, the Alaskan Malamute is now accustomed to Saigon weather.

Following his success with Alaskan Malamutes, Chinh also imported an Alaskan Summo at a cost of US$10,000. The pet owner has since built a business out of distributing pure-breed canines in Vietnam.

One dog seller in District 10 told Zing that although there are foreign canines bred in Vietnam which are priced from VND5 million to 20 million, some exotic dog lovers prefer to have their pets imported to ensure pure DNA. These dogs cost US$5,000 to US$10,000 and take about a month to arrive to their new home. In Saigon, preferred breeds include the Alaskan Malamute, Summo, German Bergie and Tibetan Mastiff.

Exotic dog lover Phan Huu Thinh also points out that buying these breeds is just a starting point. Taking care of a foreign pet can double or triple the canine's initial price tag. For instance, a Tibetan Mastiff daily menu consists of 300 to 500 grams of fresh beef, milk, fetus eggs and chicken necks.

If you ask us, these giant, fluffy canines are adorabl– but they're not US$25,000 worth of adorable.

[Photo via Flickr user Tom]

Related Articles

in Saigon

$100,000 Diamond Allegedly Vanishes From Woman’s Finger In HCMC Hotel

A Hanoi woman claims that she was drugged at a HCMC hotel last weekend and awoke to find that a $100,000 diamond had been pried from her ring.

in Saigon

100,000 Workers at Saigon Industrial Zones to Get Free WiFi by 2019

Workers at Saigon’s industrial zones can look forward to free WiFi access in the near future thanks to a new program.

in Saigon

100-Year-Old Trees In Front Of Opera House Cut Down To Make Way For Metro

Flower Street and the statues in front of Bến Thành Market aren’t the only sacrifices being made to accommodate the construction of Saigon’s first metro line.

in Saigon

122-Year-Old Saigon Woman Confirmed As World’s Oldest

The World Records Association (WRA) has completed the verification process and officially confirmed Saigon’s 122-year-old Nguyen Thi Tru, as the world’s oldest woman.

in Saigon

160 Wood Benches Being Added To Nguyen Hue Street

The trees that were cut down last July during construction of the metro station in front of the Saigon Opera House are making a comeback in the form of benches.

in Saigon

2 Men Arrested In HCMC For Trying To Ship Gun and Grenade In Guitar Case

Two local men were arrested last Tuesday after attempting to ship a rifle, grenade and 5 bullets to Hanoi in a guitar case. Surprisingly, neither of the men were Antonio Banderas.

Partner Content