Would you spend to pamper your pooches?
Claire Johnston
when I scooped him up, I instantly fell in love.
So, I paid £900 and brought him home, naming him Teddybear. He was so loving – every morning, he’d paw my face to wake me up. And him and Cupcake hit it off straight away.
Before long, Cupcake’s wardrobe was brimming with glittery dresses and pink skirts, while Teddybear’s half was filled with colourful jumpers, T-shirts and suits.
He loved dressing up. And their birthdays were extra special.
In May 2019, when Cupcake turned one, I forked out £400 on a surprise unicorn-themed party for her – complete with a blow-up castle, ball pit and an inflatable unicorn.
She even had a personalised doggy birthday cake to eat and the house was filled with toys and treats.
Then, I invited four of her pooch friends over to celebrate. It was the best day. I’m not sure who enjoyed it more – Stuart and I or Cupcake!
In October that year, I splashed out another £500 on a cream Chihuahua and named him Popcorn. Back at home, he was shy.
While Cupcake and Teddybear played together around the house, Popcorn would hide away in a corner. Thankfully, a few days later, he’d settled in, and my little furry trio became best friends.
Although Stuart and I had no children, we had the perfect family. Cupcake, Teddybear and Popcorn ran amok around the house like a bunch of toddlers.
Every month I spent a whopping £730 on clothing, treats, toys, pamper sessions, dog sitters and walkers. And every penny was worth it.
‘You’re crazy!’ Stuart would say, each time I brought home gifts for them. But he understood my love for our perfect pooches and he doted on them too.
Special occasions were another reason to spoil my fur babies.
For Easter, I spent £90 on duckling costumes and had dogfriendly Easter eggs specially made for them.
And for Halloween last year, I bought them matching spooky jumpers and filled party bags with toys and treats. They loved the attention.
Whenever I took them on walks, I’d dress them up in ball gowns or tuxedos.
Strangers at the park would stop to admire their outfits and give them a fuss. They probably thought I was a crazy dog lady, but I didn’t care. I loved any excuse to treat my babies.
With most of my wages going on the dogs, my monthly blowdries became a thing of the past. I went from having glam, fresh curls to sporting a messy bun while the dogs enjoyed a day at the groomers.
There, they had their hair done and their nails clipped. My social life took a back seat too…
When friends phoned, inviting me out for Friday night cocktails, I’d let them down. ‘I’m sorry, I’m hanging with the pups tonight,’ I told them.
I hated disappointing them, but after a full week of work, all I wanted was to put on a film and snuggle up with my doggies and Stuart. We all sleep together in the same bed too!
I know people think it’s wrong that I spend so much on my dogs, but at the end of the day, it’s my money and my choice. Stuart and I have no plans to have kids in the future.
Our three pups give us all the love we need. Being a doggy mum is the most rewarding job in the world and I wouldn’t change it for anything.