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Thousands of Japanese conned into thinking lambs are poodles
National Post news services
Published: Friday, April 27, 2007

Thousands of Japanese women have been conned into believing lambs were valuable miniature poodles. Flocks were imported from Britain and Australia to be sold by an Internet company as the latest "must-have" pets, says the Web site Ananova. The scam was revealed when movie star Maiko Kawakami complained on a talk show that her new poodle refused to bark or eat dog food. She showed photos of the animal and was devastated when told it was a lamb. The scam worked because sheep are rare in Japan and most people do not know what they look like.