Out with the old, in with the new? This may well be the case for a number of dogs that have been bought or adopted to keep up with the current cycle of the Chinese lunar year.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Selangor veterinarian V Pushparani saw this happen with rabbits in 2000, when the Year of the Rabbit ended.

"The number of rabbits surrendered to us increased that year. Many of those who had adopted rabbits gave up on them," she said.

Over the past few weeks, dog adoptions have gone up by about 10 percent, she said, leading to anxiety that the animals may suffer the same fate come the next lunar cycle.

"We are not sure if the adoption of dogs went up because of Chinese New Year...but hopefully this is not a short-term commitment," she said when contacted.

Two pet shops in Kuala Lumpur also confirmed an increase in the sale of dogs over the Chinese New Year period.

Petsmore.com retail manager Sean Saw has seen a 20 percent increase in sales.

"The media has highlighted stories about dogs and also on stars who own dogs. I think this is the reason why the sales have increased," he said when contacted.

The store - with three outlets in the city - has been able to keep up supply through contact with breeders.

Not right to do so

Wildlife Zoological Supplies Sdn Bhd managing director Lilian Loi said dog-sales have increased but not dramatically. However, she declined to reveal the number.

"People would have to think twice about buying a dog as the economy is not very good this year," she said.

Dog-lover Lee Siew Ting, who owns two Pekingese, said she strongly feels that no one should buy a dog just to 'celebrate' the lunar cycle, as some of her friends have done.

"It's not right to decide to keep a dog just because of the lunar cycle. The next will be the Year of the Pig - will people start rearing a pig at home?" she said when met at a pet store.

Another dog-lover Meai Yee ( left ), a shop assistant at Wildlife, agreed that a dog owner must have time to communicate with the pet.

"If you buy a dog, you must have time to talk to it and take care of it. Dogs know very well whether you are a good master or not," she added.