Mexican Pet

{{Template:Infobox cryptid
|image         = |imagewidth    = 400
|caption       = Artists' Renderings
|map           = |mapwidth      = 400
|mapcaption    = The Mexican Pet in a book of urban legends
|type          = Carnivores
|1st Sighting  = Unknown
|last sighting = 2013
|Country       = Mexico, Buenos Aires, La Salada, Argentina (Actual Cases)
|Specific Area = Urban Sewers
|Population    = Medium}}

The Mexican pet is an :Category:Urban Legend|urban legend about a family and a pet. According to daily-mail a similar true event occurred in 2013. in The story (in a number of scary stories books) goes as following:

Sam's parents promised that they would get him something when they went to Mexico but everything was just too pricey. They sat on a park bench and tried to think of something that he would like. Suddenly a stray dog came up to them and it struck them. Even though it was illegal to bring animals over the border, they bought a cage and got the stray and took it home with them. Sam was so excited when they showed him his new dog. Sam started to pet it but its mouth started to foam white and the dog bit him. They took the dog to the vet and Sam to the hospital. The doctor gave Sam rabies shots and then told him to be more careful. They went back to the vet and asked the veterinarian if he had given the dog rabies shots and he told them yes and he had also let the dog go. They asked him why and the veterinarian told them that it was an extremely large sewer rat, and it indeed had rabies. People debate if this story was true or not and there has yet to be an answer.

However, a veterinarian would be inclined to euthanize a giant, rabid sewer rat instead of releasing it back into the wild, where it would no doubt wreak havoc and potentially cause death, for which the vet would then be liable. Another frequent motif in tellings of this legend is death. For example, the misidentified "dog" either kills another family pet after it's brought home, or is found to be dying from some unpleasant disease, or ends up drowning in the toilet.

 History 
The oldest variant of this legend long told in Europe is called "The Turkish Pet," proving that no matter where in the world it may turn up, the story often conveys a xenophobic message — beware of foreign lands and the strange and scary things that come with them. According to folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand, the tale is, at least, a century old, with variants dating back as far as the mid-nineteenth century.

 Actual case of the "Rat-dog"
According to daily mail, these stories are becoming true in Argentina. Gullible bargain hunters at Argentina's thumb|450x450px">thumb|450x450px largest bazaar are forking out hundreds of dollars for what they think are gorgeous toy poodles, only to discover that their cute pooch is what locals call a 'Brazilian rat' (ferret) pumped up on steroids. One retired man from Catamarca, duped by the knock-down price for a pedigree dog, became suspicious he had bought what Argentinians call a 'Brazilian rat' and when he returned home took the 'dogs' to a vet for their vaccinations. Imagine his surprise when his suspicions were confirmed - he had in fact purchased two ferrets that had been given thumb|438x438px">thumb|438x438px steroids at birth to increase their size and then had some extra grooming to make their coats resemble a fluffy toy poodle. Both the woman and the retired man have not filed complaints.

Typically, toy poodle puppies cost upwards of $1,000 in the United States and a ferret will usually set someone back around $75.

A stark contrast to the sprawling wealth of some parts of Buenos Aires, La Salada is a collection of small and informal workers, distributors and entrepreneurs - some lucky enough to sell ferrets as dogs for $150.
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