A?dog matchmaking event will be held in the city this month, giving lonely-heart hounds a shot at puppy love - and owners the opportunity to find the best breeding match for their pets.

Hosted by gougou520.com, which calls itself China's first professional online pet matchmaking company, the event will gather 100 dog owners in Hongqiao area to find their pooch the perfect partner.

Organizers said the event would be held in mid-July but that no specific date had been set. They said they hoped to hold events for different breeds every week.

Pet owners looking to register should log onto the Website, with the most popular breed being picked for the first event.

"Matchmaking will be held for one type of dog every time," said Zhou Handong, the Website's director. "Because most people prefer to partner their dogs with ones of the same breed."

Since the Website was launched last December, more than 2,000 pets have been registered and 100 successful matches have been made.

But it's not just the dogs who may get lucky.

"For single pet owners, this might also lead to a real romance," said Zhou. "We found most people who register are under 35 and working-class singles."

Breeding experts said the Website was a good idea, but suggested owners learn the basics of dog breeding first to ensure a good match.

Shanghai has about 30,000 pet dogs, according to Song Wenjun, general-secretary of the Shanghai Pet Society, a branch of the city's Zoology Society.

"There is a large market there for pet matchmaking," said Song. "But it's better to find out the health history of the dogs' parents to make sure there is no risk of hereditary diseases."

To register owners must include their pets' names, photos, ages, breeds and personalities.

(Shanghai Daily July 6, 2006)