Once Worth Millions, Now Abandoned: The Tragic Fate of the Tibetan Mastiff
The Tibetan Mastiff was once considered the ultimate status symbol among China’s wealthy elite. At the peak of the craze, one could sell for as much as $2 million USD.
Massive and majestic, males can weigh nearly 100 kg and are often compared to lions thanks to their thick manes. Their origins trace back to nomadic tribes of Central Asia and Tibet, where they were bred for loyalty, strength, and ferocity—perfect guardians for flocks and skilled hunters.
During the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), Tibetan Mastiffs were especially prized. In modern times, owning one became synonymous with wealth and power.
But today, the story is very different. Thousands of these once-coveted dogs have been abandoned, left to roam the Tibetan Plateau where they spread diseases and attack anything in their path.
From Luxury to Menace
In 2014, Yin Hang, a wildlife conservationist from Qinghai, established a research and rescue center in Tibet to care not only for the mastiffs but also for other endangered animals.
Researcher Liu Mingyu from Peking University reported that as of 2018, an estimated 160,000 stray dogs lived on the Tibetan Plateau—97% of them Tibetan Mastiffs. By contrast, there are only around 2,000 snow leopards left in the region.
The mastiffs, now breeding at an explosive rate, pose a serious threat to wildlife. Forming aggressive packs, they compete for food and territory, hunting bears, foxes, sheep, poultry—and even attacking people.
In 2018, an eight-year-old girl in Qinghai was tragically killed by one. Local authorities record around 180 human injuries every month due to mastiff attacks. Beyond rabies, they also transmit tapeworm-related diseases to humans through contaminated food and water.
The Rise and Fall of a Trend
Back in 2014, a Tibetan Mastiff famously sold for nearly $2 million USD, the highest price ever recorded. Breeders boasted of their “lion’s bloodlines” and pure pedigree.
The craze began in the 1990s and peaked around the mid-2010s, with countless breeding centers springing up across China. “It was a quick way to get rich,” Yin Hang recalls.
But the boom didn’t last. As demand collapsed, the oversupply of dogs left breeders with mouths they couldn’t feed. Thousands of mastiffs were abandoned as breeding farms shut down.
By 2015, 2,000 of the 3,000 mastiff breeding centers in Tibet had closed. Prices plummeted from millions to as low as $1,500 USD per dog.
An Unwanted Giant
Rescue workers like Bowie Leung from the Hong Kong Tibetan Mastiff Club have stepped in repeatedly to save abandoned dogs. She notes the challenges:
“Hong Kong doesn’t have space. Owners lack patience, time, and money to care for such massive animals. Vet bills are far higher than for smaller breeds. If you don’t walk them daily, they can become wild and uncontrollable.”
She also offers a caution:
“They’re adorable as puppies. But when they grow up, they become ‘giants.’ Owners must ask themselves—will my neighbors tolerate this? Do I have the strength and commitment to manage a dog this size?”
Once hailed as priceless treasures, Tibetan Mastiffs now serve as a painful reminder of how fads and irresponsible breeding can turn living beings into victims.