PAMPERED, MO ?

Doggy weddings, designer clothes, Michelin-starred treats... the weird world of Britain’s most pampered pets is revealed in a new show – and it really is barking!

Pet pampering is bigger business than ever, with Britons splashing out a staggering £ 6 billion on their animal loved ones every year. And while the average dog owner might think it’s utter madness, the extreme animal lovers among us think nothing of blowing the budget on their pet.

A new six-part series called The Secret World Of Posh Pets lifts the lid on the animals living the high life as their cash-splashing owners dote on them. From pony parties in Wales where animals are covered in glitter to Alice In Wonderland rabbit warrens and luxury retreats at Lucknam Park Hotel near Bath where Michelin- starred chef Hywel Jones teaches guests how to make organic treats for dogs, owners are pulling out all the stops to pamper their pets.

For Kent millionaires Debi, an entrepreneur, and retired poker player husband Bob nothing is too much for their dogs, and that includes a wallet-busting wedding for two of them. Honey, a four-yearold teacup Chihuahua, sleeps in a fourposter bed and Debi is determined she’ll be the ‘Kate Middleton of the canine world’ when she ties the knot with Chinese crested- Chihuahua cross Joey – she’s put aside a minimum of £4,000 for their big day. ‘Honey and Joey love each other,’ she says. ‘I think it’s because they’re the same size – they have something in common.’ With a crystalencrusted wedding gown and a miniature horse-drawn cart to take the bride to the ceremony, no expense has been spared.

In London’s swanky Mayfair, dog portraitist Robert Clarke is capitalising on Britain’s billion-pound obsession with pets by creating paintings for the rich and famous at up to £5,000 a time. He hosts champagne preview parties at his gallery to showcase his latest work. ‘I’ve done Kate Moss’s dog Archie, Cath Kidston’s dog and Alan Carr’s two red setters,’ he says. ‘But it’s basically women whose kids have gone, their husband is working, they’re home with the dog and the dog is the centre of their life. It’s crazy because it’s a dog at the end of the day.’ One client, Rachel, a lawyer from Kensington, already owns a painting of her Norfolk terrier Tommy but Robert’s eyes light up with news she wants 12 more at an estimated cost of £20,000.

Meanwhile, Essex dog lover Daniella has spent over £20,000 on accessories for her poodles, including an electric car. She takes them to restaurants and hosts ‘puppy showers’, when her dogs get pregnant.

It’s not just pooches that get pampered, though. South Yorkshire-based Bryn Close has turned his love for falcons into a multi-million pound breeding business. Each year he sells 200 of his cosseted

racing falcons for £15,000 each to buyers in the Middle East, where the sport is more popular than horse racing.

In Hampshire, Louise has installed a four-storey ‘hedgehog hotel’ costing £1,000 for her 30-plus African pygmy hedgehogs. She breeds the prickly pets but not everyone is allowed to get their hands on her hoglets. ‘If someone says they like hedgehogs it doesn’t mean they get one,’ she says. ‘We have to make sure they’re the right owner. I can’t tell you how nice it is matching the right hoglet with the right person.’

She interviews potential owners including Jan, who passes the test after admitting she reads specialist books about the animals in bed. ‘I’m so excited,’ Jan says as she prepares to pick up her pet. ‘I feel like an expectant mother all over again, I hope I don’t cry!’ The Secret World Of Posh Pets starts on Friday at 8pm on ITV.

BOW-WOW WEDDING VOWS Kent couple Debi and Bob spend £4,000 on a wedding for their dogs Joey and Honey (above). But Bob jokes that the marriage wouldn’t be consummated ‘because they’ve both had the snip!’ WINGING IT Falcon lover and breeder Bryn Close...

VA-VA-WOOF Essex dog lover Daniella has spent over £20,000 on accessories for her poodles, including an electric car (left).