Recently, I watched a documentary about 'Human Pups', where men dress as puppies. It can be sexual, but the majority of people just enjoy chasing a tennis ball or playing with dog toys. Personally, I find it absolutely fascinating... I do think I understand though. Maybe to an outsider it's not considered 'normal', but doesn't everyone have a kink? Maybe we all don't jump up for treats or wag our tails, but we all do something to escape. These men like dressing up because it helps them feel good about themselves, so who are we to judge them? To truly understand, we have to learn more about them.
The community grew out of the BDSM community and has exploded in the last 15 years as the internet made it easier to reach out to other like-minded people. In the documentary, it explored a British man named Tom, aka Spot, who explains what being a 'Human Pup' really means. Tom says, "It's not sexual. It's just escapism to get away from everything that's run of the mill. There's no sexual aspect to the puppy side." Tom's dog-like behavior slowly evolved throughout his life. It started off as sleeping in a collar to buying a spotted latex suit. Once he became Spot, Tom started to realize that he may be hurting his relationship with his fiancée, Rachel. The two broke up, and soon after he moved in with his handler, Collin. Tom and Rachel are still friends; she even lets him store his puppy suit at her place.
In the film, Spot takes part in the Mr. Puppy Europe competition in Antwerp, where they compete to win the title. With his handler by his side, Tom becomes the runner up. In my opinion, he did a great performance and his dedication really showed. I think Tom is very brave for standing up for that entire community. 'Furries' share a similar message; primarily they are about creativity, playfulness, freedom and exploration. "Humans tend to anthropomorphise as a way of understanding and interpreting the world around us. Furries just take this interest a bit further than most people," anthrozoologist Kathy Gerbasi told the BBC.
Maybe some of you think it's strange, but everyone needs some form of escape. I have no judgement because why should I? It doesn't affect my life in anyway. If dressing up as an animal makes them happy and doesn't harm anyone else, then what's the problem? I'm pansexual, so I can empathize with 'Human Pups' and 'Furries'. I understand what it's like to be judged for something people misunderstand. Tom and the entire LGBTQ community want to spread the message of love and acceptance.
