This morning, my usual doom scroll was interrupted by a video of a pug dressed as a snowman. The pug hated it. It was visibly uncomfortable and looked miserable. But that was the funny bit! Dogs being made to wear ridiculous costumes for social media clout! Hahaha! What japes...
It’s not just on social media this is happening, though. A few weeks ago, over 100 pet owners strutted down the Mall in central London with their Christmas jumper-clad dogs. And every year, locals descend on Tompkins Square Park in New York City for the annual Halloween dog parade. While both events are designed to raise money for charity – and the London parade was set up by an animal charity – it still doesn’t sit right with me.
I can’t understand why humiliating animals became such an audience winner. From labradors trying to remove the irritating but seemingly glued-on elf hats and chihuahuas – the most afflicted of all canine breeds, it appears – dressed up as Yoda or a can of Coke (yep, seriously), to the dogs wearing glasses and “holding” a newspaper, made to stay still to get likes; I’ve seen it all. Then come the videos of dogs dressed up in human-like clothing, asleep and hugging each other. Ahhh, so cute! Ooooh, so adorable!
Am I the only one who finds it a bit weird? A bit... well, cruel? You could say, “If you don’t like it, then scroll by.” You might say, “If it offends you, don’t watch it.” You could even argue that it’s no big deal.
But no.
I can see why some breeds of animal need to wear clothes. Of course I can. Hairless breeds, for example – small dogs who feel the cold easily. Dr Jacqueline Boyd, a senior lecturer in animal science at Nottingham Trent University, explains that while most dogs are born with their own fur coats, owners can’t assume they don’t need any protection from the cold.
Dr Boyd suggests that appropriate canine clothing may benefit dogs’ “health, welfare and happiness during the colder winter months.” Here, though, the emphasis must be on “appropriate canine clothing.” So, the stuff that’s been created with animal health and welfare in mind – not dangling baubles from the ears of a scared looking whippet, or forcing a tea-cup Yorkshire terrier to dress up as a Christmas present (again, yep, a true story from social media).
At Halloween, I spoke to a woman who was wearing matching outfits with her dog, a poodle with tie-dye green and purple fur. The dog kept stopping to scratch at the black sequinned skirt around her waist. “Oh, she loves it!” the woman exclaimed when I asked about the outfit. “She really does. She loves it. I’ve got a whole wardrobe of clothes for her. She really enjoys twinning with me.”
And yet, the dog didn’t look like it was enjoying life as a blinging canine witch. Funny that.
A dog coat for protection in extreme temperatures is one thing, but a full-on Elsa from Frozen costume with tiara, wand – and wig – is quite another. And no, I’m not exaggerating. Anyone who spends any time on social media will have come across the sometimes breath-taking indignities of novelty dog clothes.
Animals are sentient beings. Anyone who thinks ,“It’s just a dog, for goodness sake!” is barking up the wrong Christmas tree. Just because something isn’t human doesn’t give us the right to make fun of it for the amusement of others.
By all means, wrap your pets up warm this Christmas – but leave out the “hilarious” novelty suits. I bet your dog finds them even less amusing than me.
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