There were two aspects that decided the prices of certain pets—their popularity among the public and the supply/demand relationship. In recent years, as the memes featuring Shiba Inus went viral on the internet, increasingly more Chinese people considered raising such an adorable dog of small to medium size.
Shiba Inu was a breed that had a bright fur color and an attracting appearance. Its relatively small size indicated that it wouldn’t be a threat to the elderly and children. It was gentle and independent, with a mysterious yet funny smile on its face oftentimes, and thanks to the favorable reputation of the movie A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies, Shiba Inus were gaining more popularity.
Deng Jie had been to a lot of pet shops, and she knew that Shiba Inu was an expensive breed. Therefore, when she heard a purebred Shiba Inu cost only RMB 3,000, she decided to make her move. However, when people became greedy, they were vulnerable to frauds.
