{"id":2564,"date":"2025-06-22T00:39:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T07:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=2564"},"modified":"2025-06-22T00:39:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T07:39:39","slug":"worth-every-penny-or-a-bit-ott-readers-debate-the-rise-of-expensive-dog-birthday-parties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=2564","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Worth every penny\u2019 or \u2018a bit OTT\u2019? Readers debate the rise of expensive dog birthday parties"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2025\/06\/20\/15\/40\/Engagement-overlays-(58).png?width=1200&amp;auto=webp&amp;trim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-10wlkbs-0\" data-component=\"SupportNSCNative\" data-loading=\"lazy\" data-theme-name=\"base\">\n<aside class=\"sc-hez36s-0 dFpFuY\">\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-1 dmMyEN\">\n<h3 data-testid=\"support-nsc-title\" class=\"sc-hez36s-2 fXvmgM\">Your support helps us to tell the story<\/h3>\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-8 juUDRT\">\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-13 cqPbFA\">\n<div class=\"sc-aja53j-0 rAFIl sc-hez36s-16 jZSKtc\">\n<div class=\"sc-aja53j-6 PdmgT\">\n<div data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-collapsed-content-container\" class=\"sc-aja53j-5 hJPJVF\">\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-collapsed-content\" class=\"sc-aja53j-4 lcJUSj\">\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"support-nsc-collapsed-content-tablet\" class=\"sc-hez36s-7 laZbyn\">\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 cKWiEj\">From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 cKWiEj\">At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 cKWiEj\">The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n<p><strong class=\"sc-1uza6dc-1 huxBsk\">Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"sc-aja53j-1 dLkuvY sc-aja53j-7 eMEmGu\"><span data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-dropdown-tablet\" class=\"sc-aja53j-3 dHXFkr\"><span data-action-type=\"Read more\" class=\"sc-aja53j-2 jrwZqm\">Read more<\/span><svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 hUgQwJ sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-a5wy94-0 hyKPon\"><use href=\"#ee6613da15642019\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"big-letter\">A<\/span>fter Katie Rosseinsky lifted the lid on the curious trend of extravagant pet birthday parties, readers were quick to weigh in \u2013 some with wagging enthusiasm, others with raised eyebrows.<\/p>\n<p>Rosseinsky explained how over-the-top pet celebrations, once reserved for the rich and famous, with dog-themed drone shows, party hats, and vegan birthday cakes, have now become surprisingly common in everyday suburban life, thanks in part to social media and a booming pet care industry.<\/p>\n<p>Her piece questioned whether our pets truly appreciate these grand gestures, or whether the elaborate celebrations serve more as a reflection of human emotion and disposable income than any canine or feline understanding of festivity.<\/p>\n<p>In response, some readers passionately defended their right to splash out on their four-legged companions, emphasising the deep emotional bond they share with their animals. <\/p>\n<p>Others remained sceptical, pointing to the absurdity of party hats and personalised decorations for creatures who would rather chew on the wrapping than admire the gift inside.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you had to say:<\/p>\n<p><h2><strong>It\u2019s up to them how they spend it<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>If someone has the money, it\u2019s up to them how they spend it. I\u2019d rather hear of someone spending \u00a3120 on the dog than neglecting it.<\/p>\n<p>To someone who hates coffee, it\u2019s ridiculous to spend \u00a35 on a flat white. That doesn\u2019t mean it shouldn\u2019t be done.<\/p>\n<p><em>Damo75<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Is a pet birthday party a step too far? Share your thoughts in the <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>comments<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><h2><strong>Life is too short<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s what some people spend on Sky for a couple of months. It&#8217;s your money \u2013 do what makes you happy. Life is too short. <\/p>\n<p><em>TheVoice<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/widgets.touch.global\/sdk\/iframe.html?language=en&amp;hash=2-DHNVrys1sVznEJo\" width=\"100%\" height=\"540px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><h2><strong>OTT<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Yes, it is a bit OTT, is it not? It will surely confuse the dog. Animals they may be, and some would say almost human. But once humans get past a certain age, birthdays surely are best played low-key, especially when you get old.<\/p>\n<p>We have two whippets who get spoiled rotten, but within limits. They will NOT be having a birthday party. Perish the thought. And people wonder why dogs get confused, mixed up and misbehave? Watch <em>Dogs Behaving Badly,<\/em> and the outcome is clear \u2013 warped dog psyches.<\/p>\n<p>But you just cannot teach some people. At least we are not talking dangerous dogs, which more likely than not is the result of bad animal parenting or worse, and an aggressive human mindset.<\/p>\n<p><em>49niner<\/em><\/p>\n<p><h2><strong>Worth every penny<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;d much rather spend \u00a3120 on a doggy party, without the hats and with all the doggy friends running around and playing in the garden, than waste my tax money on a \u00a3700 million Rwanda gimmick that broke international law. Only four were voluntarily deported there, and it deterred absolutely nobody.<\/p>\n<p>Until or unless you get a dog, you wouldn&#8217;t have a clue how much they become a member of your family, and you love them just the same.<\/p>\n<p>They give us so much more back than we give them, and any little bit of happiness we can return to them is most definitely worth every penny. <\/p>\n<p><em>Amy<\/em><\/p>\n<p><h2><strong>Dogs are not people<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>I love my dogs, but\u2026 dogs are not people: they have different needs, different pleasures.<\/p>\n<p>Why not give it a special (dog) treat, where relevant, a good walk, and give a decent donation to a suitable charity?<\/p>\n<p>Seeing dogs wearing party hats etc. is robbing a dog of any dignity.<\/p>\n<p><em>Suney<\/em><\/p>\n<p><h2><strong>Donate the money<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Instead of wasting \u00a3120 on a party for a dog, why not give the dog a double helping of his dog food or something like that, and donate the \u00a3120 on behalf of the dog to a needy cause, like helping the homeless etc.?<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m sure doggy would be happy with that. And the charity which got the money would certainly.<\/p>\n<p><em>tommy2tops<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day\u2019s top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click \u2018log in\u2019 or \u2018register\u2019 in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Make sure you adhere to our <\/strong><u><strong>community guidelines<\/strong><\/u><strong>, which can be found <\/strong><u><strong>here<\/strong><\/u><strong>. For a full guide on how to comment <\/strong><u><strong>click here.<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more After Katie Rosseinsky lifted the lid on the curious trend of extravagant pet birthday parties, readers were quick to weigh in \u2013 some with wagging enthusiasm, others with raised eyebrows. Rosseinsky explained how over-the-top pet celebrations, once reserved for the rich and famous, with dog-themed drone shows, party hats, and vegan birthday cakes, have now become surprisingly common in everyday suburban life, thanks in part to social media and a booming pet care industry. Her piece questioned whether our pets truly appreciate these grand gestures, or whether the elaborate celebrations serve more as a reflection of human emotion and disposable income than any canine or feline understanding of festivity. In response, some readers passionately defended their right to splash out on their four-legged companions, emphasising the deep emotional bond they share with their animals. Others remained sceptical, pointing to the absurdity of party hats and personalised decorations for creatures who would rather chew on the wrappin&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2564"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2564"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2564\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}