A 51-year-old mother from London regrets hosting a puppy yoga class at her home, calling it “one of the worst things I ever did.”
Suzanne Baum, a lifestyle editor, shared her experience as calls to ban the practice continue to grow due to concerns over the physical and mental well-being of the dogs involved.
Baum described her attempt at hosting the class as a “cringeworthy” disaster, saying the session turned into chaos when the puppies started relieving themselves on the yoga mats, leaving the room smelling unpleasant.
Reflecting on the event, she said, “It was one of the worst things I ever did. Having two dogs of my own, I now see it was completely unethical.”
Puppy yoga, or Doga,’ involves practicing yoga while puppies roam freely in the room. While it has gained popularity, especially through influencers, the practice has faced growing criticism from animal welfare groups. Some countries, including Italy, have already banned it due to concerns about the impact on the animals.
Baum, who owns two dogs, initially thought it would be a fun and cute activity, believing that socializing puppies was beneficial.
However, when she organized her puppy yoga class in 2021, it quickly went off the rails. The chaos began after the company she hired arrived with seven or eight puppies.
Having been confined in a van for hours, the dogs immediately started defecating around her lounge.
“I was mortified,” she recalled. “As soon as the puppies came in, they pooed everywhere. My guests arrived, and the house reeked. It was incredibly unclean, and I ran around trying to clean up the mess.”
Baum also expressed frustration with the company that provided the puppies, noting that they hadn’t bothered to give the dogs a bathroom break before the class.
“These puppies had been locked in cages for hours and weren’t well cared for,” she said. “I don’t even know if they had received their vaccinations.”
The session was so chaotic that no actual yoga was performed. “We didn’t even get to the yoga because the dogs were pooing everywhere,” Baum added. “I felt guilty for the dogs and embarrassed in front of my guests.”
Baum now supports calls to ban puppy yoga, citing the negative impact on the dogs. “Hosting my class showed me how appalling it is for the animals.
They were scared, and that’s likely why they went to the bathroom all over the place,” she explained. “For influencers, it might be a cute photo opportunity, but as a dog lover, I think puppy yoga is awful.”
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