RSPCA says people who dress up their dogs could be prosecuted

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷʎpuɐɔƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ]

RSPCA says people who dress up their dogs could be prosecuted



The RSPCA in Britain is threatening legal action against people who dress up their dogs.



The animal welfare charity claims that forcing pets to wear clothing could be harmful, and in some cases there may even be grounds to prosecute.



Canine couture has become fashionable in recent years and there is a dizzying array of products on sale, from bootees, pyjamas, all-in-one trousers and even hoodies for dogs.



Top fashion designers, including Vivienne Westwood and Ben de Lisi, have also created dog designs, while the London store Harrods has an annual fashion show called Pet-a-Porter.



Experts believe there are occasions where dog clothing is acceptable, such as with small dogs and short-haired varieties, and during cold weather.



Jess Bland, a professional dog walker and pet sitter, says: "Dog clothing certainly serves its purpose when it's cold and wet, but it has to fit properly.



"Although dogs would survive in the wild, they're generally used to being indoors. So there is a case that they need coats in the winter, especially shorter haired dogs and smaller dogs."



But the fashion for pet clothes angers Lynn Williams, founder of dog charity Happy Dogs. She said: "People love their pets and the retail trade has latched on to that.



"To see a little dog dressed up in boots, I think, is a little over the top.



"You can buy anything fashion wise for your dog. I have an extreme love of the dog, but I don't like to see them dressed up as little human beings. I don't think they like it either. It's unnatural."



Earlier this week animal welfare officers also warned that dog clothing could cause the animals to overheat.



Jo Barr, RSPCA spokeswoman, said: "Dog owners should be aware that under the Animal 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 that properly.



"We're concerned that any pet should be viewed as a fashion accessory. Taking on an animal is a long-term commitment. It's quite humiliating and sends out the wrong message about pet care.



"We've seen trends in recent years brought about by the rise in celebrities with 'handbag dogs'.



"This usually leads to people taking on pets because they are 'fashionable' and sadly that means many are neglected.



"We've had similar problems with popular films like Harry Potter, with parents wanting to buy owls as pets for their children.



"Going back further to the 1990s, we saw people unable to cope with turtles and terrapins that they'd bought due to the popularity of the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle."



LONDON

THE TELEGRAPH GROUP

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷʎpuɐɔƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ]

My dogs want to take their own lives away from the cruelty...

[
Hides in shame

My dogs wear clothes, doesn't harm nor bother them one bit. Hats and stuff on their heads, those do bother them, so I've stop from buying those, but I only made them wear it for pictures only, its not like they're on them 24/7. I did dress them up everytime we went out, but I stopped only because they would get it dirty and ended up taking it off by the end of the day. But they associated clothes like seeing a leash or harness, fun time outside.

The clothes aren't tight or anything so it doesn't restrict their movements, they still do zoomies, jump in dirty puddles, all that good stuff....it depends on the dog really. If they didn't like it I wouln't put it on them, like those booties since there's no snow over here, I know they would HATE those [seeing almost every dogs reaction to it] so I wouldn't even bother with those, but clothes....they don't seem to mind so why not? The clothes I make them wear are good for the sunny weather outside, I won't put it on if its too hot outside. Its not like I'm putting sweaters on them in the middle of July though.

And if it does get too hot for them, they jump in the kiddy pool, go figure. Lesson learned here, don't put clothes on them when they're going to end up soaking them in dirty pool water lol. And yes I did take the clothes off after they got it wet.

I mean some people put fancy collars on their dogs...to me I don't like the neckline it gives so my dogs don't use them. Also having had a dog with glaucoma, reading how collars can give dogs stress in the eyes, I gave up in collars entirely...but I don't shun people who choose to put collars on their dogs.

Dogs are beautiful without collars and with fancy collars on them, which seem now to be all the rage. Dogs could careless for them, or clothes....as long as it isn't harming them, I don't see why we cannot do as we please with our dogs? So we use them as 'fashion statements' from time to time, no harm in that, unless you think that is ALL your dog is.

I do see problems though with people who use their dogs as fashion statements with the 'gangsta image' in mind, with the chain collars, collars with spikes, heavy padlocks, ect......but no one ever talks about that...they go after the owners who dress their dogs in cute clothes?

As far as 'restriction' goes....

Whenever I get a new camera I can video tape their reaction to me putting out clothes for them and the wagging tails, the 'paw dance', and the over excitement from the 'clothes bag' where their clothes are. Same reaction as their harness/leashes and when they see food. They like it, as far as their reactions go....if they ran across the room and it was a struggle to put it on, I wouldn't even bother.

Like with nail clipping the dogs have had good experiences with them so they don't seem mind, but Princess the doxie I guess never had it done or had bad experiences with it and its a hassle all the time...so I don't bother clipping her nails, I take that up to the vet to do it. If it was that much of an issue with my dogs and clothes, I would not even bother. Its nothing to have clothes on to them really, I'm not putting them through anything.

I also dye by dogs, and people seem to think its cruel too. Its not harming him nor his skin, health, ect...and he lurves the extra limelight/attention he gets from the non-peta freaks.

People do things to their babies like make them wear onesies with political stuff, team jerseys, curse words, ect. They give their babies hair-do's like mohawks, ect. Does anyone find that cruel that they 'use' their babies as fashion statements? They can't walk yet, but they have Jordan shoes on? Its that wrong? NO.

Like with babies....its not harming* them, it doesn't phase them, its not abuse*, nor CRUEL*, so who cares?

*cruel

1. willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others.

2. enjoying the pain or distress of others: the cruel spectators of the gladiatorial contests.

3. causing or marked by great pain or distress: a cruel remark; a cruel affliction.

4. rigid; stern; strict; unrelentingly severe.



*abuse:

2. to treat in a harmful, injurious, or offensive way: to abuse a horse; to abuse one's eyesight.

*harm:

1. physical injury or mental damage; hurt: to do him bodily harm.

2. moral injury; evil; wrong.

–verb (used with object) 3. to do or cause harm to; injure; damage; hurt: to harm one's reputation.

Dressing up a dog does NONE of these things.



So people that spoil their dogs and spend money on them and not have them neglected in their backyard or something of that sort will cause this their beloved pet by dressing them up?

Over-spoiling is bad too, but we're not talking, dogs who are carried all the time in carriers/strollers, have no muscle mass, are over-dressed in hot weather, ect... ludacris things....plain dressing up a dog ever once in awhile is cruel?

Some dogs actually tolerate even things like hoodies, booties, bows, ect....others do not. If it doesn't cause great distress to the dog....how is it wrong?


There are extreme measures as for using your dogs like fashion statements like getting them tattoos {not for id} and piercings, but clothes?

quoting others....


[quote]Why don't they concentrate their time/money/energy on a cause that will actually make a difference to an animal whose life in on the line? What a stupid, weird little issue to nitpick at.

And they claim dogs could survive in the wild. Ummm, what breeds are they talking about here? Because I haven't seen any hairless cresteds roaming feral. People usually don't bother dressing the hardy breeds like GSDs and huskies, they don't need it. Why ban something that *could* be a problem, when there hasn't been any cases? The didn't mention any specific cases where dogs died of heat exhaustion due to wearing clothes. From the sound of the article it is strictly a comfort issue.

Oh I know! Let's just ban everything right now![/quote]

[quote]And I fail to see how standard doggie clothes are more restrictive on their bodies than a service dog's vest, or a therapy dog wearing a uniform during a visit, or a police/bomb/sar dog wearing a cape or vest. They are probably more comfortable since the working gear tends to be canvasy fabric and novelty clothes are lighter breathable cotton. [/quote]

[quote]People who take the time to buy an outfit, put it on their dogs, these are not the people you need to be directing legislation At? For godssake put your protests to some good use and start looking at legislation for people who abuse their animals, no food, no bed, no shelter, no walks, no love, these are the animals that need your attention not the ones who are being lavished on with special treats and clothes.[/quote]

[quote]Honestly, keeping a collar on a dog at all times is dangerous. My mom lost one of her beloved pomeranians because he was wearing a collar and hung himself on his crate. Why don't we ban keeping collars on dogs at all times, too? I've known more dogs to get injured by collars than clothes.[/quote]

[quote]They need to stop making silly laws that will harm good owners and put more effort to the laws already made. If someone is walking their Newfie in 100 degree weather with a wool knit sweater on then arrest/fine/warn them for animal abuse/cruelty. Don't make another law, just use the existing ones.[/quote]

I think and this is just my opinion they rather be 'fashion statements' from time to time than live the lives they did before with neglectful, even abusive dog owners........and yet I'm 'abusing' my dog for actually caring two cents about it. I guess I should bring them back to the shetler, back to homes where they're outside 24/7 on a small concrete area, and abused with mops and brooms...because according to this I'm a terrible dog owner and don't deserve to own dogs.

ITS NOT GOING TO STOP HERE, they're going to keep making these stupid laws and keep taking away our rights as pet owners FOR EVERYTHING SOON.

[sissybearsheba]

your puppies are soooooo cute, i only dress smudge and bre in sweaters and they dont mind and i think they're pretty cute.

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷʎpuɐɔƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ]

thanks =]

[Betsie Rakoczy]

You sound like a very responsible pet owner...BUT the problem is; there are pet owners that DO NOT THINK so laws have to be enacted to MAKE THEM THINK and to hold them ACCOUNTABLE for their actions.

Dressing pets in clothes/costumes has become the vogue thing to do by children and grown-ups alike. Google “pet clothes or costumes and you will come up with millions of website results. Google pet clothes / costumes events and you will come up with millions more of pet fashion shows. This is an industry that is making millions and billions of dollars from pet owners and there is nothing wrong with that as long as the pet owner knows the potential dangers envolved (this is similar to the cigarette manufacturers who are now required by law to warn the public about the dangers of using their products).

But Google for the dangers of dressing a pet and you come up with maybe two or three hits, that's how I found this.

I use to attend many pet rescue events as a vendor that had the event for the purpose of raising money to help pet rescues. At most of these events they would have a pet costume contest.

At one event I attended as a vendor a woman came into my booth with her young teenage daughter and their Pomeranian in one of those doggie tote bags.

This little dog already had it's own natural thick fur coat on but was also dressed with;

• A diaper with a plastic outer layer (like a Pampers for dogs)
• Then a nylon crinoline slip
• Then a polyester dress
• Then stuffed in the doggie tote which of course was made out of polyester.

This poor little dog was in distress and on the verge of having heat exhaustion or stoke right in my booth as the temperature was around 80 degrees that day. I was so mad at their lack of common sense (more so the mother than the young teenager) for dressing the pet that way. AND they were totally oblivious to the pets’ suffering which made me even madder.

I somehow managed to keep my voice calm and let them know that their pet needed help right away. They didn’t even have any water with them for the pet but fortunately I did. We stripped the clothes off and poured some of the water on the pet to cool down its body temperature and gave it sips to drink. I don’t know the end to this little dog’s story as they left soon after, as I encouraged them to seek medical attention for it ASAP.

That experience led me to think about the fate of the thousands of pets who are treated like a child’s baby doll that feels no pain and to do some research on this subject.

What you consider to be "stupid laws" are not directed at responsible pet owners such as yourself, they are directed at pet owners who DO NOT THINK, they just follow the crowd.

Also these laws are not about the pet owner, they are about the welfare of the pet.

So please consider that little Pomeranian who had no choice over its fate and the suffering it went through when others such as the SPCA try to intercede on its behalf to protect it from owners who have no common sense.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Betsie Rakoczy
PAWS Creations

[Tricia Lollis]

Geez...why don't they spend more time trying to catch REAL animal abusers? I have 3 dogs. And have dressed them up occasionally. If it's not consricting, painful, or dangerous...what is the harm? My oldest girl LOVES to be dressed up and pose for the camera...!

[Kelly]

LMAO!!!! Oh, now, this is just plain stupid!

[Lonesome Beast]

I agree with this article, well i think that dressing small short haired breeds with coats and jumpers in winter is fine, to keep them warm. however, booties.. hats, and clothing that does obstruct movement is cruelty, every time i see a dog walking around i booties, it always seems as if its struggling to walk.., which it most probably is. some things are acceptable, but somethings people take too far. I know its not relevant, but people in africa and other developing countries are starving... and wer buying booties for our dogs, causing nothing to them but annoyance and harm :(
btw. ur dogs are cute Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷʎpuɐɔƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ :)

[Belles]

I don't mind seeing dogs in sweaters if they need them, cute little hats for pictures as long as they aren't forced to wear them all the time. In Montana, my folks had to put booties on their shih Tzu as the snow would pack between his paws and it was painful, not to mention dangerous if it is 20 below zero. Dogs can get frostbite too, I would guess.

Here in arizona if it's hot - today is 107 - why would you have clothing on them? It's ridiculous.

Candy, did you say you dye your dogs fur? I thought that's what you said, just making sure. If you do, I think that's horrible. Nobody knows the effects of chemicals and the hair follicles absorb them. I honestly hope you don't do that.

I think the general rule of thumb is they are dogs, not humans and to over do it is just plain weird. I see alot of pets in strollers (disgusting) and all dressed up.. I just want to tell the owner to get a life and seek counseling. It goes way too far.

As far as pet costume contests or dressing them up on occasion? Nothing wrong with that.. I enjoy seeing them with silly hats on or tutu's... but am I being selfish? Maybe it's for my own amusement and if that's the case, then that's wrong too.

If they are going overboard, it is just as cruel as anything else.. so yes, they should be prosecuted for cruelty. However, it's hardly much to raise that much of a stink about. It's rare to see a dog like that. Maybe it's a big problem in the UK though.. who knows?

[Ashlee Wright]

here in Oregon, you see dogs wearing little sweathers all the time, with hats on there heads. But since we are having a heat wave, nobodys putting clothes on them. I guess if they kept the dogs clothes on in a hot non-arconditioned apartment, they could die of heat exoution. i dunno.

[Lonesome Beast]

i agree with you, i think its wrong to dye dogs hair =[

[Sarah: Wren&Cricket&Paco's Momma]

My girls have to wear clothes they are straight breed Chihuahaus and have no undercoat. Heck they get cold in the house and they actually complain when we take thier clothes off. I can understand the negative effects mentioned because of people taking this to the extreme. I agree the clothes should always fit the dog correctly, but I dont like the boots thing unless they are going to be cold or protect the dog's feet I dont think they are necessary.

Wren and Cricket's Momma

[Lani]

Well then lock me up and throw away the keys! I have a dog, who was a foster of mine prior to us adopting her, who came to us after being hit by a car. Her front legs were broken so badly she had to have plates of metal, metal screws, and metal pins inserted in her bones to hold her front legs together. She is a great happy dog, but in our cold WA winters she gets cold fast and her joints start locking up (arthritis). To help prevent this I found her a nice long sleeved sweatshir that covers her legs and allows her to be out more than just a quick potty...without it she'd have to be a permanent inside dog through our long winters, and she really enjoys her play time with the others. If it's criminal to give her a hand staying warm, then turn me in.