Media hoaxed, Proof They Will Print Anything

[BEB]

Lamb's out of the wool...bag...whatever, but here's the original story. Its just too funny not to include. So too this picture The Sun ran.

Good thing we already know not to believe everything we read.

Japanese fooled in poodle scam
Friday April 27, 2007

Thousands of Japanese have been swindled in a scam in which they were sold Australian and British sheep and told they were poodles.

Flocks of sheep were imported to Japan and then sold by a company called Poodles as Pets, marketed as fashionable accessories, available at $1,600 each.

That is a snip compared to a real poodle which retails for twice that much in Japan.

The scam was uncovered when Japanese moviestar Maiko Kawamaki went on a talk-show and wondered why her new pet would not bark or eat dog food.

She was crestfallen when told it was a sheep.

Then hundreds of other women got in touch with police to say they feared their new "poodle" was also a sheep.

One couple said they became suspicious when they took their "dog" to have its claws trimmed and were told it had hooves.

Japanese police believe there could be 2,000 people affected by the scam, which operated in Sapporo and capitalised on the fact that sheep are rare in Japan, so many do not know what they look like.

"We launched an investigation after we were made aware that a company were selling sheep as poodles," Japanese police said, the The Sun reported.

"Sadly we think there is more than one company operating in this way.

"The sheep are believed to have been imported from overseas - Britain, Australia."

Many of the sheep have now been donated to zoos and farms.

And now, the Rest Of The Story....

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=263447

Poodle scam story a hoax
Friday Apr 27 13:00 AEST
By Shaun Davies
ninemsn

Police in Japan have denied knowledge of a scam where rich Japanese women who wanted a poodle as a pet were deceived into buying sheep.

English newspaper The Sun reported that Australian sheep had been sold to rich women as poodles by a company in Sapporo, Japan.

The story has since been reported internationally by newspapers and websites in the UK, America, New Zealand and South Africa.

Earlier today it was run on most major news websites in Australia, including ninemsn.

The Sun reported the scam was blown when Japanese movie star Maiko Kawakami complained on an unnamed talk show that her "poodle" was unable to bark or eat pet food.

The newspaper said a police spokesman in Japan had confirmed the company, called "Poodles As Pets", had been shut down.

But a public relations spokesman for Hokkaido police, whose jurisdiction includes Sapporo, said he had not heard of the scam.

The spokesman refused to elaborate on Kawakami's comments, as it "was not a police matter".

Details about Kawakami's statement also appear to have been misreported. Japanese-language blogs about Kawakami say the movie star actually told a story about a friend who bought a sheep instead of a poodle at a pet shop.

Kawakami told the story on the Fuji Television show Gokigenyou. She said her friend took the "poodle" to a vet, who then asked her, "you think this is a poodle"?

A producer for the Gokigenyou told ninemsn she could not comment on the story's authenticity, as she was not Maiko Kawakami. But she said she had not heard about the 2000 other people reportedly scammed by the poodle bandits.

Tall stories are common on Japanese talk shows and their authenticity is not carefully checked.

A Tokyo-based entertainment and culture reporter said she had not heard of the story. The story had not been reported in any Japanese newspapers, she said.

The Sun reported that because sheep were rare in Japan, people there were not able to distinguish between a sheep and a poodle.

But sheep have been bred in Sapporo for many years. In 1848, an American farmer named Edwin Dun came to Sapporo to set up a sheep farm.

Near to the hi-tech Sapporo Dome Sports Stadium is a hill called Hitsukigaoka, which means "sheep hill".

"If you like sheep, this is the place for you," a travel website says.

Tokyo resident Sakurako Sugata said she had not heard of the story before today. She said she didn't believe a word of it.

"Buying a sheep instead of a poodle? It's ridiculous!" Ms Sugata said.

"If you want to keep the sheep and cut it up and eat it, then that would be a good idea, but that story's just stupid."

"No-one with any intelligence would buy a sheep instead of a poodle."

[Beans]

I could not believe people could be that stupid!

[BEB]

Well it was The Sun which seemed to run the story first. To continue with the Paul Harveyisms...

Page Three

*Hidden disclaimer : I'm fully aware I'm using references from both sides of the pond which may leave some on each side wondering what the devil I'm talking about. That's ok, being understood is overrated. As long as you laughed at something in this I'm happy. Additionally, if you got the page three reference and looked at it at work that's your fault, not mine! And finally, if you, for some reason decide to quote this post, please take this disclaimer out of the reply. *

[foxxymomma50]

That is RECOCKULOUS!!!! No sane person would think a sheep was a dog! That is just the dumbest sh!+ I have ever heard! LOL

Oh wait!! You know, my dog HAS been making strange moo-ing sounds. Should I get that checked out?

[KaiGywer]

Puts a whole new perspective on the term sheepdog

[Jackalope]

I heard the story on the radio last night and totally believed it.

[RPDP44]

I've heard of MEN confusing sheep for something else...

[countybear]

The part they left out was where the owners really became suspicious...

The 'poodles' were backing up against fences and saying...

B-E-E-E-E-A-A-A-N-N-N-S-S-S!, B-E-E-E-E-A-A-A-N-N-N-S-S-S!

[10-42Adam]

I've heard of MEN confusing sheep for something else...

Yeah those cowboys sure did enjoy bringing sheep along on their journeys back in the day!

[Jenna]

Somewhere in here is a joke about sheep and sheepdogs.....

[JLK]

that's so baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad

[K9brando]

Puts a whole new perspective on the term sheepdog