Faye Winter, Max Balegde and Pandora Christie were amongst hundreds of pet lovers advocating against the worrying rise in ‘extreme breeding’ at a pop-up hosted by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home this week.
Taking place at Battersea Power Station on Wednesday 19 August, the one-day event saw fashion and animal welfare come together, offering Londoners the exclusive opportunity to browse the charity’s new purposeful fashion initiative – curated by celebrities Tasha Ghouri, Vicky Pattison, Faye Winter, Max Balegde, Yasmin Pettet and Pandora Christie.
Launched earlier this month, the Y2K-inspired collection features slogan tees that call out the hidden health consequences linked to breeding dogs and cats with extreme physical features, such as flat faces and bulging eyes – a trend the charity says has been fuelled by social media.
The event brought this important message to life, inviting the public to sign a pledge and become part of a growing movement that puts the wellbeing of pets over appearance.
The pledge wall garnered hundreds of signatures, including from some of the charity’s celebrity supporters – former Love Islander Faye Winter, TikTok star Max Balegde and Heart Radio DJ and presenter Pandora Christie – who visited the pop-up.
Faye Winter, who has long been a passionate animal advocate, 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. This was a brilliant event to bring together Battersea’s campaign, encouraging people to rethink what’s really worth celebrating when it comes to our pets.”
Alongside browsing the fashion collection and meeting some of the stars behind it, visitors were invited to learn more about the growing animal welfare issue and to read stories of real dogs and cats that have been affected by dangerously extreme breeding.
Caroline Jenkins, Head of Campaign at Battersea, said: “It was fantastic to see so many people come together to support the campaign. The turnout at the pop-up, as well as the support from our celebrity supporters, shows that there is a real appetite for change.
“Too many pets are suffering with the consequences of breeding for appearance. Through this campaign, we’re encouraging people to think beyond what looks cute and instead consider the health of pets first. Every signature to our pledge and purchase of a fashion item helps us spread this message further.”
The ‘Cost of Cute’ campaign continues, with the fashion collection available to purchase online until 15 September, with proceeds helping Battersea care for dogs and cats.
