Fancy waking up to find yourself tied down in some strange woman's bed with the police looking over you! That was the dilemma faced by would-be robber Zhang after he broke into a 68 year old woman's house in Qingyuan, China recently.

The ex-convict, who had just been released from prison, was seeking cash and valuables when he snuck into the victim's house.

Unfortunately for Zhang, the owner of the home proved too smart for the robber as she persuaded him to sleep off his tiredness first.

He was also reassured that she would happily hand over her money after his nap.

However, the moment he dozed off, the enterprising woman whipped out a length of rope and tied him down before notifying the relevant authorities.

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Is pet grooming going to the dogs in China? That statement is up for debate as folks witness a recent fashion trend emerging from Wuhan, Hubei province, where women are queuing up their pets for a strange new dyeing fad.

In accordance with this new trend, pet owners want their pets to sport wild and bright colors. The result is an embarrassed-looking dog whose fur has been dyed with a variety of clashing hues.

One dog ended up with a yellow head and lush green body while another equally unlucky poodle donned the colors of the rainbow.

Interestingly enough, China is also putting together an animal protection law so as to ensure that pets are not abused by their owners.

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Some dog owners are dressing their pets in a range of trendy hoodies launched by a speciality pooch clothing company.

Fur-trimmed parkas, puffer jackets and fleecy body warmers are all made to fit a variety of dogs.

Schoolgirls Isabel and Jasmine Dicks love to dress their pet Chihuahuas Angel and Brick in the range of little coats.

Isabel, 13, and Jasmine, 11, choose their doggy outfits every day - and even get busy on the sewing machine to make sure the clothes fit just right.

While out for walks near their home in Southampton, England, the nine-month-old dogs turn heads wherever they go.

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A controversial Belgian contemporary artist who wows critics with his work at home in Europe also runs a peculiar operation in China - tattooing pigs.

Wim Delvoye, whose work graces modern art galleries in Brussels, has established his own 'art farm' where he tattoos on the backs of live pigs.

The farm �C 90 minutes outside Beijing in a remote village �C has been operating for a couple of years now, complete with a staff of Chinese and international tattooists as well as pig caretakers.

All kinds of designs are tattooed on the pigs' backs, from roses to Louis Vuitton logos to religious imagery.

For his part, Delvoye sees nothing wrong with the practice. He claims the pigs barely notice the tattooing and are unaware they have been tattooed afterwards.