Individuals who identify as dogs recently gathered in the heart of Berlin in an unusual and somewhat controversial gathering, perplexing local authorities and locals. This rare occurrence has sparked debate about the limits of personal expression and led to requests for animal control officials to intervene.
A group of dog-loving humans has sparked cries for “animal control” after a video of their Berlin meet-up went viral. An estimated 1,000 people who wish to be identified as canines rather than humans gathered at Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz railway station in Germany, communicating exclusively by howling or barking at one another.
Critics mocked the trans-species people online, with some offering to test the herd’s “canine instincts.”
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When Did The People Who Identify As Dogs Gather?
Credit: Twitter
The event took place on Tuesday, September 19th, 2023. The event elicited diverse reactions online, with some expressing support and curiosity and others mocking and criticising the participants.
Why Did This Gathering Happened?
This unusual canine gathering follows the global renown of Toco, a person in Japan who, after purchasing a $14,000 hyper-realistic costume, is now living out his lifelong dream of being a dog.
Experts have urged a distinction between “therians,” those who “identify as a creature other than human,” and “furries,” people who like cosplaying in animal suits, according to the New York Post.
Some therians, short for “therianthrope,” for example, may “believe that they are a cat soul reincarnated into a human body,” according to Dr. Elizabeth Fein, an associate professor of psychology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
“Some furries are therians, and some therians are furries, but they’re two distinct groups,” she explained.
Hound-Human Hybrids That Have Gained Internet Fame
Credit: Twitter
Tom Peters, a Brit who earlier disclosed he identified himself as a Dalmatian, and Toru Ueda, a Tokyo engineer who spent $23,000 on a handmade wolf outfit, are two other internet-famous hound-human hybrids.
“When I wear my costume, I feel like I’m no longer human,” Ueda, 32, told the UK Times earlier. “I’m no longer involved in human relationships. I can forget about all types of work-related problems and other problems.”
However, animal-like behaviour has been fetishized as a BDSM kink known as “puppy play,” in which participants, generally men, wear muzzles, collars, or leashes and act like dogs.
Some OnlyFans models have become mutts in order to make more money, discovering that canine behaviour is highly lucrative.
Jenna Phillips, an erotic content artist, said in 2020 that she earned $10,000 per month solely for acting like a puppy, collar, and all.
“It’s insane,” she exclaimed. “I never imagined that such a large audience would look at my strange dog kink or that so many people would like or care about it.” It still astounds me.”
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