Panties For Pets In Australia

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31539, 29 November 1967, Page 17

Panties For Pets In Australia

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, Nov. 28. Maternity dresses for pregnant poodles, lace- . trimmed panties for Pekingese, “lumber robes,” dog boots, perfumed fly sprays and diamante collars—they are all on Christmas present lists for Australia’s pampered pets this year. A dog’s life has never been so glamorous, and there are 250 pet shops in Sydney alone catering for their canine customers’ every want. Australians spend an estimated sBom a year on pet food alone, and the recent rise in popularity of gadgets and clothing gimmicks has turned the pet business into

one of the country’s greatest money-spinners. Maternity dresses are a big seller. “The dogs look much more .respectable and attractive,” said the owner of one shop. Lace-trimmed panties are catching on fast, according to retailers.

“They’re for bitches in season,” said one. “The panties stop any nonsense from the dog next door.” Slumber robes, or pyjamas as humans call them, prevent Fido catching cold at night, while made-to-measure coats and even trouser suits are selling like hot dogs. “Once most people bought a lead for their dog and that was that,” said a pet trade wholesaler, “but it won’t do today. It’s all part of the affluent society, I suppose.”