The pet owners who must be barking mad
I saw a dog the other day wearing a hooded pink top with fake fur trim.
The poor animal looked thoroughly ashamed of wearing such ridiculous attire and was doing his doggy best to hide behind his owner.
I don't blame Fido one iota for being embarrassed.
There has been a worrying trend in canine couture in recent years and now an animal welfare charity is suggesting the practice could be harmful.
I believe if you kit your dog out in this daft clobber, then you don't have the dog's best interests at heart; your hound is simply an accessory.
Yes, I understand the need for warmth on a cold day, especially if the mutt in question is small or short-haired, but a practical coat is an entirely different proposition to bootees, miniskirts and diamante collars.
Sadly, the market for pet togs is booming. A quick trawl of the internet reveals you can purchase pretty much anything for your dog to wear, including designer doggy t-shirts bearing ludicrous slogans.
Fashion designers including Vivienne Westwood and Ben de Lisi have even created canine collections – a mere 2,500 will bag you a Westwood-designed spring jacket for your pooch. And if that's not bonkers enough, Harrods has an annual fashion show called Pet-a-Porter.
A vet acquaintance of mine frequently regales me with tales of some of the sights she sees. Just recently a pug was brought to her for an emergency operation, which could only begin once the pink t-shirt emblazoned in silver glitter with the word 'BITCH', had been removed. Classy, eh?
The RSPCA and other animal welfare charities have raised concerns about dog dressing. The thrust of their argument is dog owners have a duty of care to ensure all the needs of their pets are met. This includes the need to express normal behaviour, which they suggest the restriction of clothing may not allow.
There is also concern dogs could overheat and the charities warn that under the Animal Welfare Act, irresponsible owners who damage their dog's wellbeing by using them as four-legged Barbie dolls could face prosecution.
Quite right. I reckon if you dress your dog for any other reason than to keep it warm then you need a check-up from the neck up, whereby you will surely be diagnosed as 'barking'.
What do you think? Click here to send a letter or leave a comment below.
Click here to go back to Chichester news
Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news
Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news
To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click on the link below to add yourself to our readers' map.
MAP
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Chichester
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: North west
