I absolutely agree, Meggie. It is just getting ridiculous the way they want to interfere in every part of our lives, it seems. Where is the cruelty in keeping your dog dry and warm in winter - even if it is a big dog. I often see greyhounds out in the freezing weather with nothing to keep them warm or dry - it actually upsets me as I can see the dog shivering. There are dogs that can keep themselves warm, due to their particular coats, but they can still get wet. Most of us keep our animals indoors now and we don't want to bring a wet dog inside or have to dry it on the porch when it is cold. It takes long enough to dry the paws and face. They NEED to have a walk each day and in our climate it frequently rains. The way I see it is, if a pet owner goes to the trouble of keeping their pet warm and dry when outside, they are caring owners and are unlikely to put a badly fitting coat on their dog that causes it discomfort. Tootsy would let me know in no uncertain terms, if she was not completely comfortable! Also, with our little ones, their long hair can get so tangled in the wild grasses and also get full of grass seeds that are difficult to remove, so it makes sense to put a vest or T shirt on them when walking on fields. It saves them the discomfort of having to sit still and have all the grass seeds taken out. An awful job, believe me. We are a nation of pet lovers - are we going to deliberately make our dogs unhappy and in discomfort by dressing them up in badly fitting or too warm clothing. I have yet to see this, myself. Tootsy actually brings me her jumper when she is feeling cold!! (It is just so cute.)
Threatening us with prosecution over this, honestly! It makes me really angry.What a cheek! Next they will be telling people how they can dress their children or be prosecuted!
Luv
Yvonne |