Family Mistakes Endangered Bear for Pet Dog
May 15, 2021
A family was vacationing in China when they decided to adopt a puppy from a pet store. They thought they were bringing home a Tibetan Mastiff. It wasn't until years later that they realized they'd made a grave mistake. And their dog was not what they had believed!
Tibetan Mastiffs, according to the American Kennel Club, are "watchful, aloof, imposing, and intimidating: The ancient Tibetan Mastiff is the guardian dog supreme. These densely coated giants are mellow and calm around the house, sweetly devoted to family."
The family always noticed that their 'dog', Little Black, had a huge appetite. He ate two buckets of noodles and a box of fruit each day, growing to weigh more than 250 pounds.
YOU MAY LIKE: Man Survives Rattlesnake and Bear Attack Only to Get Bitten By Deadly Shark
As he got older, he began to look very strange. Their neighbor, Sun Yun, explained, “The more he grew, the more like a bear he looked." But it wasn't until Little Black started walking on his hind legs that the family knew for sure that he was not a dog.
Though the family was very concerned about what would happen to their pet of two years, they knew they had to alert authorities about their case of mistaken identity.
Their pet 'dog' was actually an endangered Asiatic Black Bear. Asiatic Black Bears are a protected species because people hunt them for profit, selling their body parts and bile to be used in Asian medicine.
Trained staff from Yunnan Wildlife Rescue Centre came to take the animal to live there so he could receive proper care.
This is not the first reported case of an Asiatic Black Bear being mistaken for a Tibetan Mastiff Dog. A Chinese farmer rescued a pup from the woods near his farm before he realized it was actually a bear.
WATCH: Family Mistakes Bear for Tibetan Mastiff Dog
And China is not the only country with animals being mistaken for one another! A woman in the United Kingdom adopted a beautiful white dog and brought it home. Soon after, she thought it was odd that her dog never barked and that it wouldn't eat dog food. She ultimately realized her 'dog' was, in fact, a fox! Watch the video below to see what the dog should look like, and what her fox did look like! (It's not a wonder the mistake was made!)
WATCH: Woman Realizes Her Pet Dog is Really a Fox
YOU MAY LIKE: Atheist Talks to God After Bear Attack in Woods
In the image below, a Tibetan Mastiff dog is on on the left, and an Asiatic Black Bear is on the right.
credit: thinkstockh/t: People
Stacie is a brand manager and senior editor for several Christian sites including GodTube, GodUpdates, and the Story Behind podcast. She holds a degree in communications from Radford University in Virginia. She’s Mom to two grown kids and one cute fur-baby cat Natalee. Stacie has served on mission trips from Haiti to Vietnam and Tanzania, Africa. Stacie Marshall is also a Destination and Virginia Wedding Photographer and when she’s not finding and writing uplifting stories, you’ll likely find her dreaming of traveling the globe or at a Richmond venue photographing weddings.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Past Stories
- Husband Decorates His Neighbors' Homes For Wife Who Loves Christmas
- Couple Befriend Older Neighbor After Hearing Music Coming From His Apartment
- California Man Carpools With Adult Children On His Very Last Day of Work Before Retirement
- Family of Three Grows To Seven Overnight With Birth of Quadruplets
- The World's Oldest Dog Spike the Chihuahua Turns 25 Years Old
- Christmas Tree Planted Back in 1979 Inspires and Unites a Small English Village
- Dick Van Dyke Turns 99 After Evacuating From a Wildfire and Welcoming His Lost Cat Back Home
- Santa and Mrs.Claus Continue to Spread Christmas Magic Even With Santa's MS Diagnosis
- Little Girl Gets a Big Elf On the Shelf Surprise Honoring the Little Brother Who Passed Away
- Little Boy From England With Leukemia Delivers Over 400 Christmas Gifts To Kids At the Hospital
- Gold Star Family Receives a Big Surprise That Will Change Their Lives Forever
- 8-Year-Old With Down Syndrome Is a Hero After Saving Sister From House Fire
- Man Paralyzed At 17 While Snowboarding Has Found True Love and a Wonderful Life
- His Wife Passed Away, Now Their Special Tree is the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Granddaughter Captures Last Words Between Grandparents, Married For 69 Years
- New York State Police Rescue Woman Needing a Heart Transplant Stranded in Snowstorm
- Born the Same Year the Titanic Sank, World's Oldest Man Dies at 112
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
Top Music Videos
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Jeremy Camp Jeremy Camp 'Ready Now' Powerful Official Music Video
Mark Schultz 'Different Kind of Christmas' - Live From Mark Schultz
CCM Magazine Brynn Elliot's Chilling 'Silent Night' Rendition
Brad Stine Has Issues Brad Stine’s Hysterical Take on Adam Naming the Animals is Pure Gold
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.