Unleashing the Olympic animal connection

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On this, the opening day of the Olympic Games, Petside.com reminds us that China is home to a number of ancient dog and cat breeds, among them:

Chinese Crested

Chow Chow

Pekingese

Pug

Chinese Shar-Pei

Shih Tzu

Cat lovers, Petside.com also features a section where you can see Asian cat breeds and Olympians with their pets .

-- Francisco Vara-Orta

Photos (in order): Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times; Yuri Cortez / AFP/Getty Images; Petside.com; Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times; Peter Hujar; and a family photo.