Dressing up your pet

By Katherine Morten

Dressing up animals has become a popular trend in the last few years. As mention in our blog post Boo the Pomeranian has become an internet sensation since its first appearance on Facebook in 2009. The furry fella has racked up thousands of followers on social media.

Although there are lots of fans of dressing up animals. The subject is a controversial one. There are some who condone putting a cover on their pet to keep them warm and others who think it is ok to dress up their animals in human clothes and costumes for talent shows.

The RSPCA have now said that people who dress up their pets could be prosecuted, in extreme cases. Jo Bar an RSPCA spokeswoman told the telegraph: “Owners should be aware that under the Welfare Act that came into force in April 2007 they have a duty of care to ensure that all of their pets’ needs are met. One of those needs is to express normal behaviour and it could mean that with restrictive clothing they are not able to do it.”

The concept has become accepted and popular in recent years that there is now a dress up your pet day on the 14th January. The celebratory day has been around for the past 7 years and owners alike flock to social media to show off their pets in clothing and costumes.

Jemma Ivy, a cat owner said: “It looks absolutely ridiculous, why on earth would you try to force animals into costumes that they are clearly not comfortable with, fair enough if you are putting a cover on to keep them warm, but tutus and animal shoes is just not right.”

The RSPCA said that most short haired dogs feel the cold far more than most therefore a simple fleece cover is an appropriate item of clothing. Due to the rise of social media, videos and pictures of pets in funny costumes has become ever growing. This is for the sake of a few ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ many suggest that exploiting animals for entertainment tarnishes the beloved relationship between humans and pets. Send us a message and let us know what you think of the concept.