Berlin: Hundreds Of People 'Identifying As Dogs' Gather, Claim Rights

In an event on September 19, around 1,000 people identifying themselves as canines (dogs) gathered at Germany’s Berlin Potsdamer Platz railway station. The event garnered mixed reactions from netizens, with some people expressing curiosity and some criticising and mocking the participants.

In a video that went viral on social media, the participants of the event were seen communicating with one another by barking and whistling. The video showed numerous people barking, howling, and whistling while gathered in the venue for the event.

People Identifying As Dogs Gather In Berlin

The event that happened on September 19 was organised by a group called “Canine Beings,” which advocates for the rights of people who identify themselves as dogs.

The event has paved the way for questions regarding the boundaries of self-identification and the blurry line between identity and fetish. The video garnered severe negative criticism and led to netizens calling for “animal control.”

One online critic suggested that these people should be abandoned in the Sibnerian Tundra and let them survive with their canine instincts. Another user mocked them, saying that they couldn't' be seen smelling each other’s tails. A third user made fun of them by saying “animal control to give them rabies doses.” A fourth user questioned why they put on masks if they really identified themselves as dogs.

This comes after Taco, the human collie, a man based in Japan, is fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a pooch after he purchased a $14000 hyperrealistic suit. He revealed that he hoped to meet others with canine aspirations.

A 32-year-old British man named Tom Peters disclosed that he identified himself as a Dalmatian. Toru Ueda, a Tokyo-based engineer, spent $23,000 on a custom-made wolf suit, claiming that he no longer feels human when he wears it. He said that he was free of all human relationships and forgot about all kinds of troubles related to work and other things.

Experts called for a distinction between "therians,” people who identify “as a creature other than human,” and “furries” people who enjoy “cosplaying in animal suits.” Therians believe that they are an animal soul reincarnated in a human body.

Dr. Elizabeth Fein, an associate professor of psychology at Durquesne University in Pittsburgh, told The Post that while some furries are therians and some therians are furries, they are two distinct groups.

On the other hand, animal-like behaviour has also been considered a fetish known as “puppy play,” where participants, usually males, are equipped with collars or leashes and behave like dogs. In 2020, adult content creator Jenna Philips disclosed that she made $10,000 per month by just acting like a pooch with a collar and all.

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