Mr. Mastiff

A black Tibetan Mastiff, 31 inches high and answering to the name of "Yangtze River Number Two," is believed to have broken the world record as the most expensive dog after a Chinese woman paid $582,000 for the “priceless” canine.

In keeping with its record-shattering status, according to local reports the 18-month-old dog arrived at its new owner’s home in stupendously excessive style. A motorcade of 30 luxury cars cruised to the airport in Xi’an to take delivery of Yangtze. Enchanted onlookers gathered to celebrate the arrival of the city’s new resident.

If the figure of $582,000 is accurate, it makes Yangtze River Number Two possibly the most expensive pet dog in history. Earlier this year, a family in Florida paid $155,000 for a Labrador called Lancelot Encore. That price included the cost of cloning the original Lancelot.

The young millionaire, according to one report on a Chinese Web site, fell in love with the dog while on a breeding trip to Qinghai province. The woman, referred to only as Mrs. Wang, had been travelling to the town of Yushu with a Tibetan Mastiff that she already owned with a view to mating it with the famously pure-blooded hounds of that region.