New outfit for fashion-conscious pooch (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

New outfit for fashion-conscious pooch

LIKE all fashion-conscious females, Poppy the Springer Spaniel knows she has to look her best when she walks out the front door.

And she can do just that, thanks to her owner Charlotte Best's designing skills.

The 16-year-old Kingshill school pupil started making clothes last year as part of a GCSE course in arts and textiles.

The outfit is not only fashionable but practical too - it has a fleece lining to keep Poppy warm, and pockets to carry pooper-scooper bags when they go for a walk.

The inspiration to design the outfit came to Charlotte after Poppy got a grass seed stuck in her foot and needed an operation to remove it.

"The shoes protect her paws, and the hat and coat keep her warm," Charlotte explained.

"We always get funny looks from people in cars, you can see them doing a double take. A lot of people do come up to us and say how lovely she looks and that they want one for their dog."

With plans in the pipeline for more doggy couture, Poppy and Charlotte are bound to become trendsetters in the canine fashion world.