(Dogs dress the traditional New Year suit, pose during the performance from the dog circus of Japan in Hong Kong Friday, Jan. 27, 2006. Photo: AP)

Dogs seem to have become the happiest and most fortunate animal in China since the "Year of the Dog" is around the corner.

Stories about generous pet-owners buying their dogs gifts have been reported by newspapers in some of the major Chinese cities in the advent of the traditional Spring Festival, or the Chinese lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 29.

Hao Didi, 22, the owner of four puppies who lives in the Eastern (or Dongcheng) district of Beijing, said her family have prepared a traditional Chinese costume, or Tangzhuang, for the puppies for the imminent festival, and is planning to take them to the pet's beauty salon.

"The Year of the Dog is something special to everyone in my family, as we love and care for our dogs so much as if it were a year for them," said Hao.

The Chinese lunar calendar counts the years with a rotation of the names of 12 animals. The cycling starts with rat, then follow ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster and dog, and ends with pig.

The shopkeeper of a Beijing Coolbaby Pet Product Chain Store said that his shop had busier business as the festival neared. The daily sales of dog clothing and toys rose about 30 percent in the past week than usual, she said.

According to a shop assistant, among all the dog clothes, the red ones and the traditional style Tangzhuang, varieties shelved especially for the the Spring Festival, were the best seller, at more than 70 yuan (8.7 U.S. dollars.) for each.

Dogs are also following the Chinese tradition, like their masters, to have a bath and haircut before the lunar new year, a way people think can dispel misfortune when they embrace the new year.

Pets had to line up if they came in the afternoon for bathing in recent days, said a shop assistant at Beijing Hiway Pet Center.

The center also provides services of hair or fingernail cut, ear cleaning and hair dyeing. Costs range anywhere from 35 yuan (some 4.5 U.S. dollars) to 200 yuan (about 25 U.S. dollars) for varied services there.

Some pet beauty salons also offer sona for dogs.

Making albums for dogs was also a way for owners to show affection and tenderness to their pets.

Qin's Photo Studio in Beijing, a pet photography service geared mainly for pet magazines and shops, has received "quite a number of" individual customers in the past few days, an assistant surnamed Chen said.

Only over the last weekend, she noted, the studio had six appointments from individual customers, which was rarely seen before.

An average album costs 550 yuan (approximately 70 U.S. dollars), she said.

It is believed that people in China had begun to use the 12 animals to count the years back in the imperial Han Dynasty(206 BC-220 AD).

An loyal, obedient animal, dogs are also thoughts to be able to bring fortune by the people. As a Chinese saying goes, "cats comes with poverty, while dogs with property."

According to statistics from the Beijing Association of Small Animal Protection, the city of some 15 million people shelters more than one million pet dogs, topping all other cities around the country.

Statistics shows Beijingers spend more than 500 million yuan (about 65 million U.S. dollars) each year on their pets.

In contrast with the lucky pet dogs with generous owners, about 200,000are estimated to roam about in the national capital, though some charity organizations are trying their best to help.

Actually, Hao Didi's four puppies are bathed in loving attention not only when the Year of the Dog ushers in. They each have five pieces of clothes during the winter time apart from special pet toys. The dogs also go to the beauty salon once every three months, and are taken to pet doctors' if they fall ill.

"No matter what year it is, we are fond of them all the same," Hao said.

(Source: Xinhua)