More on the Japanese Sheep / Dog Hoax
Just in case Claytonian’s previous post about the recent “sheep sold as dogs” news story was a hoax wasn’t convincing enough for you, here’s some more truth for you:
No one was more surprised than Japanese film star Maiko Kawakami to hear that her fluffy poodle was really a lamb in disguise.
The actress on Tuesday denied foreign media reports that she had been the victim of a scam by tricksters importing lambs from Australia and Britain to sell as poodles to thousands of unsuspecting rich Japanese women.
[...]
“Ms. Kawakami is very surprised by how much this has spread overseas. She was just recounting on television how she had heard of such a story while she was at a nail salon,” a spokeswoman for her talent agency said.
“Ms. Kawakami does not even own a poodle!” she added.
As a result of the international coverage, Kawakami — who starred in Takeshi Kitano’s Japanese thriller “Violent Cop” — appeared on television again Tuesday to deny the reports.
Police in Sapporo, where the fraudulent company was reportedly based, also denied the sheepish tale.
“We have had inquiries from so many media — CNN, CBS among others — and all I can say is that that article is completely made up,” a spokesman said.
