Exploiting pets is frowned upon these days as more people consider cats, dogs and other domesticated animals as part of the family.

Some adorable pets even become social media stars, like a shiba inu owned by a Chinese couple. The dog named Peppa, known for its cuteness and contagious smile, had around half a million followers on different Chinese socmed accounts.

But when the six-year-old Peppa died from apparent poisoning after eating food on the road during its owners’ visit to their hometown in rural Shandong province in December, followers were angered by the fur parents’ video post, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

The viral video released on 17 December showed its owner holding the lifeless Peppa and crying. Instead of gaining sympathy, however, the dog’s followers criticized the owners for trying to capitalize on the video, according to SCMP.

Meanwhile, a hotel in China offers a special morning call service that allows guests to play with a special pet.

The Happy Countryside Resort in Niujiao Village in Suqian, eastern Jiangsu province offers guests’ children seven minutes to cuddle and play with the animal for an extra 628 yuan, SCMP reports.

Videos of a hotel staffer bringing the lion cub to a guest room have gone viral and were reported by local news outlets.

The hotel said demand for the cub is high that it was fully booked in November. It added that they have a permit for the young lion from local authorities.

News outlets, however, questioned the hotel’s business gimmick, saying that using animals to profit from is illegal and unethical.