Man gets shock of his life when he buys two toy poodles for $150
only to be told by a vet that they are actually GIANT RODENTS pumped up
with steroids to look like dogs
By
James Nye
Gullible bargain hunters at
Argentina's largest bazaar are forking out hundreds of dollars for what
they think are gorgeous toy poodles, only to discover that their cute
pooch is in fact a ferret pumped up on steroids.
One
retired man from Catamarca, duped by the knock-down price for a
pedigree dog, became suspicious he had bought what Argentinians call a
'Brazilian rat' and when he returned home took the 'dogs' to a vet for
their vaccinations.
Imagine
his surprise when his suspicious were confirmed - he had in fact
purchased two ferrets that had been given steroids at birth to increase
their size and then had some extra grooming to make their coats resemble
a fluffy toy poodle.
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No longer an urban myth: People in the
Argentinian market of La Salada are being sold ferrets (Brazilian rats -
right) given steroids so that they resemble toy poodles
The 'Brazilian rat' was fed steroids at birth and groomed so that it resembled a toy poodle
Previously considered an urban
legend of the giant La Salada market, local television news in the
capital, Buenos Aires, discovered that the unidentified man was not
alone - another woman had been told that she was buying a Chiuhuahua,
but ended up with a ferret.
Both the woman and the retired man have not filed complaints.
Typically, toy poodle puppies cost upwards of $1,000 in the United States and a ferret will usually set someone back around $75.
Cute: A white toy poodle puppy stares lovingly at the camera - toy poodles typically cost upwards of $1,000
A typically fully grown ferret - not on steroids - is still smaller than a fully grown toy poodle
Compared to Mumbai's infamous Dharavi
slum, La Salada is a self contained micro-economic center of the
Argentinian capital, largely filled with skilled Bolivian workers who
have migrated.
A stark
contrast to the sprawling wealth of some parts of Buenos Aires, La
Salada is a collection of small and informal workers, distributors and
entrepreneurs - some lucky enough to sell ferrets as dogs for $150.
La Salada in Buenos Aires is the biggest illegal
market in South America. A high range of products is offered at the
market for half the usual price
Conned: How can a ferret ever look like a toy poodle?
- Ferrets typically have brown, white or mixed fur and are around 51 cm in length - which includes a 13 cm tail.
- They weigh around three pounds and have a lifespan of 7 to 10 years.
- When
happy, ferrets may perform a routine known as the weasel war dance -
which is characterized by a series of hops and frenzied attempts to bump
into things.
- This is often accompanied by a soft clucking noise called dooking. When upset ferrets make a hissing noise.
- Toy poodles are known for their intelligence and are around 25 cm tall and weigh around nine pounds.
- If a toy poodle exceeds 25 cm height, it cannot compete in any dog show as a toy poodle.
- Toy poodle have long lifespans and have been known to live as long as 20-years.
- They are described as sweet, cheerful and perky and lively and love to be around people.
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