MISSOURI – Those in the St. Louis area may find it expensive to get the dog they want. Taking advantage of the popularity of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, one dog breeding huckster is upping the price of his litters of Shiba Inus.
While the Japanese breed’s price has risen with the popularity in social media (one meme in particular), Shiba Inus typically range from $1,500 to $3,000.
Mark Mendoza, 39, of St. Louis has a different idea. Jumping into Shiba Inus breeding in 2020, he is charging as much as $15,000 for his pups.
“Dogecoin is here to stay and what better way to invest in it than to buy the thing it is all based on,” Mendoza said in a recent interview. “There isn’t anything wrong with it. It’s capitalism baby!”
Despite the jump in price, Mendoza has had to implement waitlists through 2023 because of the demand. Current and future customers state that the price must be worth it to purchase the magnificent breed. Unfortunately, one negative impact for consumers is not only a price hike in this breed, but across other breeds as well. Seeing the success of Mendoza’s gouging, other breeders are following suit.
Janet Clermont, 63, of Minnesota has started selling her Pembroke Welsh Corgis for a premium, hoping they will make a funny face that could be turned into a meme that could then be turned into ‘CorgeCoin’.
Greg Mcintosh, 25, of North Dakota has also upped the price of his breed of English Bulldogs, optimistic that a skateboard riding dog will one day be immortalized into ‘BulldogBucks’ currency.
While the inflation of canines is escalating quickly, the price of feline cats has remained constant, as no one cares to make a currency out of their memes.