An abandoned dog that has become an Internet sensation in China has been sold at a marathon online auction for 160,000 yuan ($25,000).
An eight-year-old Shiba Inu named Deng Deng was sold by a Beijing court for 320 times the initial asking price, according to an auction platform belonging to e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, which offers livestreaming.
The auction lasted 29 hours, and garnered 480 bidders and over 165,000 views. The website did not specify who the buyer was. Alibaba’s public relations representatives did not immediately respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment.
Deng Deng became a favorite of the Chinese public in 2018 when local newspapers including the Beijing Youth Daily reported that it had been left unpaid by its owner at a pet school. Then a court agreed to auction the dog on behalf of the school where Deng Deng is staying.
Livestreaming sales have become popular during the pandemic as Chinese consumers stay home as the government used drastic containment measures to contain the outbreak.
Last month, Li Jiaqi, a top livestream salesman widely known as the “lipstick brother,” sold $1.9 billion worth of goods on the first day of Alibaba’s annual shopping festival.
According to data from Taosj.com, a website specializing in e-commerce data, Li’s sales were a record for any show livestreamed on Alibaba’s Taobao online marketplace.
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