Dog owners are spending £500 a year keeping them on trend!

FASHION conscious pet owners are forking out over £500 a year to make sure their four legged friends are on trend.

The paw pound is booming as dog owners ensure their pets aren’t just man’s best friend but look their best too.

Dog owners in the UK spend on average £1,252 on their dog each year.

There’s 8.5 million dogs in the UK and owners spend on average £1,252 on their dog each year according to a survey by American Express.

And while £393 goes on food, £243 on insurance and £73 on vet bills and medicine, the remaining £550 is spent on clothing, treats and pampering.

Laura Summers’ three Yorkshire Terriers Bella, three, Benji, two, and Bailey-Rose, seven months, have outfits worth £1200, fortnightly grooms and pawdicures and their own Instagram page!

“My dogs are my babies and dressing them up and having them looking nice makes me happy and them too,” doting dog mum Laura.

She said: “My dogs are my babies and dressing them up and having them looking nice makes me happy and them too.

“Bella is really girly. Her favourite outfit is a pink ballerina dress with a tutu. Benji loves dressing as Superman or Batman and Bailey-Rose loves a simple hoodie. She’s more of a tomboy.

“A friend recently treated her to a Louis Vuitton one and last year I took Bella and Benji to Los Angeles for a month on holiday.

“The outfits they have for dogs there are amazing, and they loved it as they’re actually allowed in the shopping malls too. They came home with £200 of new clothes each.”

The trio dress up for special occasions, as pumpkins at Halloween, Santa suits at Christmas and in bunny ears at Easter.

Laura, 32, a beauty therapist, says that she only puts on their clothes for special occasions or if they visit her parents for Sunday lunch.

When they’re out playing in the park, the girls wear cute ribbons or bows in their hair and Benji will wear a cool harness.

“If they don’t like an outfit they let me know,” dog lover Laura Summers.

She said: “If they don’t like an outfit they let me know. They wriggle out of them. I would never let them get too hot or be in distress. But when I put on their favourites, they strut around like little models.

“I would love for them to be dog models and they have their own casting agent, Urban Paws, and an Instagram page so their fans can see their outfits.”

The RSPCA has expressed concern about the trend and advise against it unless the dog is old, ill, very small or short haired.

A spokeswoman said: “The signals which dogs use to tell us how they are feeling can be subtle and covering up their tail and ears when wearing a costume makes it even more difficult for dogs to communicate with us and other dogs.

“We understand that many owners are well meaning in their intentions but some pets can find being in a costume frightening.”