Are Puppy Purses For Real?
New York’s Park Avenue is essentially a runway for the rich and the famous to boast the latest trends — which is, apparently, all about the “Puppy Purse" lately.
“As of today, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing because they showed up on The Post,” Stacy Braverman, owner of the New York pet accessories store that sold the item in the photo, tells Yahoo Shine.
The inventively stylish rendition of a dog carrier made headlines this week when former model Rachelle Garzia was spotted on 30th and Park in New York with her sand-colored Brussels Griffon Shih Tzu mix, Frank, hanging from her ever-so-stylish camouflage printed pooch pouch.
“It’s not the kind of thing you’re going to keep your dog in all day long, it’s not a typical carrier," says Braverman, who sold Garzia the Puppy Purse. "So if you’re going on a short walk or want to put it on its feet and quickly pick it up, that’s what it’s used for. Or if you want your dog to have fresh air, especially in the city, that’s what it’s used for."
The device, in which your furry friend can hang from your shoulder, waist or from two short handles, gives a new meaning to animals and owners who are attached at the hip.
“If it’s not sitting out, and he sees me pull it out of the closet, he goes nuts, wagging his tail. So I’m pretty sure he loves it,” Garzia, 29, told the New York Post.
Hedy Grant and Suzanne Sherman, two dog lovers, created the Puppy Purse more than five years ago. According to the Puppy Purse website, Grant and Sherman were tired of seeing pups stuffed into closed, dark, and claustrophobic carrier bags, and thought: “There has to be a better way.” Hence, they invented the Puppy Purse.
Yahoo Shine called a number of pet stores to weigh in on the latest trend, getting mixed reviews. Pets On Lex NYC, an upscale pet shop on the Upper West Side, sold out of the Puppy Purses within the last two weeks. But the New York Dog Shop, another pet store on the Upper West Side, no longer sells the item after it apparently flopped several years ago.
“It’s a cute idea and we did sell them when they came out, but we don’t sell it anymore. They just don’t sell and I had to mark them all down,” a salesperson from the New York Dog Shop told Yahoo Shine. “It’s not comfortable for the dog, it’s awkward to carry them that way.”
PETA supports the Puppy Purse’s practicality, but reminds its users to be mindful. In an e-mailed statement to Yahoo Shine, PETA spokesperson Jordan Uhl said: “Leashes can be yanked, bags can be swung about until the dog feels seasick, and Puppy Purses can leave a puppy legs numb if the user is not alert. But they can be a great way to help a small dog cross a busy intersection, as long as people take care to protect their canine companions from collisions with passersby. PETA cautions animal guardians to ensure that their dogs still get all the exercise that they need—since little dogs need walks, too—and reminds everyone that a puppy in a purse is not an ‘accessory.’”
Puppy Purses are being sold in stores worldwide and have recently made their way to the UK. The purse comes in four different sizes (the largest can hold a dog up to 12 pounds), 20 different styles and ranges from $70 to $100.
They say a dog is man’s (or woman’s) best friend. But after your pooch is placed in a Puppy Purse, will that saying hold true?
