Behind the Filter: the true cost of fashionable dogs
Sophie Thompson
sophiecharlettethompson@hotmail.co.uk
We share viral videos of adorable dogs on social media every day, and they’ve become so popular, 45% of online contributors will post a video of their pup at some point. The influence social media and celebrity culture can have over people buying a dog is staggering, with people now spending more time thinking about whether to buy a pair of shoes than to buy a dog- and for the first time in 30 years, French Bulldogs will now be the most popular dog in the UK overtaking Labradors. Of course, this has its setbacks.
People are now buying dogs online without doing the proper research and pugs and bulldogs are already known for having a lot of complex medical issues. This causes a string of problems leading to abandonment, deformities in puppies, huge vet bills, and dogs illegally being brought in from Europe.
Behind the Filter looks at the issues surrounding the new-found popularity of these dogs, and how we as consumers, need to buy a dog based on what suits our lifestyle, and not just what’s fashionable.