A star-studded line-up of pet-loving celebrities, including Vicky Pattison and Tasha Ghouri, has joined forces with Battersea to launch a fashion collection that takes aim at the concerning demand for cats and dogs with extreme physical features – warning that some of the internet’s favourite pet trends may be causing more harm than people realise.
The limited-edition collection features a selection of Y2K-inspired tees, caps and tote bags emblazoned with playful slogans, such as “Hot girls just want healthy pets” and “Cute but struggling”, highlighting the hidden welfare issues behind some of today’s most sought-after pets.
Each fashion item has been curated in collaboration with the charity’s latest celebrity supporters:
Tasha Ghouri
Tasha’s slogan: Highkey just want pets to be healthy
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Former Love Island contestant and Strictly Come Dancing star Tasha Ghouri has created a design inspired by the language of social media, encouraging people to put pets’ health before appearance. Tasha has a rescue dog from Spain and is a passionate advocate for animal welfare.
img-b4981ee4-f698-4527-a6e8-b4b011415c80Tasha said: “This campaign combines my love of animals and fashion, so it was a no brainer to get involved. But most importantly, it’s such an important cause and my slogan embodies how we should always prioritise our pets’ health over aesthetics. Having a healthy, happy pet is the ultimate fashion statement.”
Yasmin Pettet
Yasmin’s slogan: Dump him unethical breeding
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Love Island star and host of the show’s official podcast Yasmin Pettet has brought her signature fashion-forward aesthetic to the collection with a gutsy slogan encouraging people to think twice about unethical breeding. A self-proclaimed ‘cat whisperer’, Yasmin adopted her childhood cats from Battersea, making the cause particularly close to her heart.
img-8ca48d72-edb2-453d-84de-39bf7544de5cYasmin said: “Battersea is so close to my heart, having had rescue cats from there growing up. The coolest thing about a pet should never be how they look – it should be that they live a happy, healthy life. Go grab yourself a cute tee and be part of the movement.”
Vicky Pattison
Vicky’s slogan: Pets aren’t a fashion accessory
TV presenter Vicky Pattison has curated a bold design reminding people that pets should never be treated like the latest trend. A lifelong dog lover, Vicky now has two beloved rescue Labradors, Max and Milo, and has long been a passionate advocate for responsible pet ownership.
Vicky said: “I’m so proud to be taking part in this important campaign and love that it uses fashion to get people talking about something that really matters. Let’s leave our pets out of fashion choices and focus on helping them live happy and comfortable lives.”
Faye Wnter
Faye’s slogan: Hot girls just want healthy pets
Passionate animal advocate Faye Winter has curated a playful slogan championing healthy pets over passing trends. The former Love Island star shares her Devon home with a host of animals, including her beloved Golden Retriever, Bonnie.
img-c6a7387f-1766-403e-9df4-d3ddc1230815Faye said: “I adore my pets and I adore fashion, but our love of trends should never come at the expense of an animal’s health. I hope this collection encourages people to rethink what’s really worth celebrating when it comes to our pets. Trends will always come and go, but our pets rely on us to put their wellbeing first, every single time.”
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Max Balegde
Max’s slogan: Cute but struggling
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TikTok sensation and Celebrity Gogglebox star Max Balegde has brought his trademark humour to the collection with a tongue-in-cheek slogan designed to challenge perceptions of what makes a pet truly ‘cute’. Max recently became a dog dad to his puppy, Eevee, after growing up surrounded by family pets.
img-caebf0bd-c61d-4b1a-87c7-f42b136658e2Max said: “Becoming a recent dog dad, all I want is for Eevee to live her healthiest and happiest life possible. Social media can be brilliant for bringing animal lovers together, but it can also fuel demand for pets with extreme features without showing the health problems they often face. They might be cute, but they are indeed struggling, and this fashion line is all about encouraging people to put pets’ health first.”
Pandora Christie
Pandora’s slogan: Healthmaxxing Over Looksmaxxing
img-754c877f-e045-4e01-a4a5-bad564742f0fDJ & presenter Pandora Christie has reimagined one of social media’s biggest buzzwords to encourage a healthier way of thinking about pet ownership. Pandora is a long-time supporter of Battersea and has previously owned rescue pup Henry.
img-7e2422e3-0fa5-4ebf-b28c-3579c418b15aPandora said: “We should all be ‘healthmaxxing’ when thinking about our pets – and that’s exactly what my collection is all about. This is an amazing campaign to be part of, using fashion to advocate against this worrying trend of buying pets with extreme characteristics. Let’s all work together to keep our pets happy and healthy.”
The summer drop comes as research from Battersea reveals that Gen Z and Millennials are significantly more likely to choose pets with extreme characteristics – such as flat faces, folded ears and excessive skin folds – with social media and popular culture playing a major role in shaping perceptions of what cats and dogs should look like.
But the charity warns that these desirable features can leave animals struggling to breathe, move, play and live a normal life.
For French Bulldog owner Jennifer, the reality behind the “cute” aesthetic has been devastating. Her dog Lily underwent her first operation at just 16 months old and has since needed multiple surgeries, alongside ongoing health issues including breathing problems, spinal issues, eye ulcers and chronic reflux.
Commenting on her experience, she said: “I love the look of French Bulldogs and to be honest, I didn’t realise how bad things were.”
Jennifer has now spent more than £40,000 on veterinary care and adds that “no amount of health insurance or money can take away (Lily’s) suffering”.
Laura Alwen, Rehoming & Welfare Manager at Battersea, said: “No animal should ever have to suffer in order for humans to find them ‘cute’, and it is heartbreaking to see so many dogs and cats paying an impossibly high price to look a certain way.
“All too often we see animals being brought to rescues like Battersea when their loving owners aren’t able to cope with the significant vet bills or care requirements they’re facing because of the way their pets have been bred to look. Together we can prevent this from happening and ensure pets can live happy healthy lives with their owners who love them.”
Battersea explains that this “hidden cost of cute” is rife amongst young pet owners, with the leading animal rescue charity hoping the fashion collection helps to encourage them to think twice before buying one of these ‘trendy’ pets.
Caroline Jenkins, Head of Campaigns, at Battersea, said: “We want this fashion collection to be something people are excited to buy and wear, but more importantly something that sparks a bigger conversation.
“By taking our Cost of Cute campaign into the spaces where trends are created and shared, we hope to use a positive trend to disrupt a harmful one and ultimately challenge the way we think about pets including knowing what can lie beneath the ‘cute’ surface.”
Later this month on Wednesday 19 August, the charity will be holding a pop-up event in Battersea to invite the public to see the fashion collection and sign a pledge to champion healthy pets by putting welfare before appearance.
The range is available to purchase online now, on sale until 15 September. All proceeds will go to help the dogs and cats of Battersea.
