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 LIMA (Peru)
— The image shown here is not an elaborate Halloween costume, nor
does it reflect some heinous act of animal cruelty. What you see
is—in all its natural, naked glory—Perro sin pelo del Perú, or
the "Peruvian Hairless Dog".
The official El Peruano newspaper
reports that the Peruvian (or Inca) Hairless Dog has just been honored
by the government as a national treasure, with political orders to
ensure that the rare breed never becomes extinct.
This polished pooch not only has a
history that predates the ancient Incas, it has also been credited with
strange, supernatural powers to cure diseases of the joints, such as
rheumatism. (—and just in time for
the Witching Season, too: "Trick or ...treat your arthritis?")
According to a Reuters news
report, health experts also say that lengthy contact with the dog's
unusually warm skin can relieve asthma as well. Age-old religious
traditions further add to the mystique by indicating that the breed invites
positive energy to a home.
Peruvian Hairless Dogs come in all colors, shapes and sizes. This
medium-sized, dark variety was popular at the recent Últimas
Exposiciones Nacionales.
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Reported to have existed in Peru's
coastal regions for over 4,000 years, the hairless dog's numbers have
dwindled considerably in recent years. But now, the Agriculture
Ministry has enacted a law to order the conservation, breeding, and
export of the exotic animal.
Historians note that evidence of the
dog in ancient cultures can be seen in the art and pottery of the Chavin,
Vicus, and Sipan peoples and was once the favorite pet of Incan
royalty. The true origins of the breed have been hotly debated;
some claim that it may have been brought to Peru by Chinese immigrants
or by groups migrating from Asia to the Americas via the Bering Strait,
while others believe that the dog originated in Africa.
But, though it may be tempting to
theorize, most historians are reasonably certain that the original Peruvian
Hairless Dog did not come from Siam (or Broadway, for that matter):
"Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera."
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