A devoted dog owner is so dedicated to making her pugs look totally paw-fect that she dresses them in human children's clothes – and even taught herself to sew to customize their look.
Emma Burden, 30, goes shopping in the kids' aisles, spending hundreds of pounds every month to make sure Marty, three, and Layla, eight, stand out from the pack in their canine couture.
So pampered are Emma's pooches that they only eat super-trendy raw food and have their very own diary to keep track of their busy social calendar.
Emma said, “I like them to wear something new each time we go to an event and would never want them to have a clash with any other dogs.
“As a woman, you'd be horrified if you were in the same outfit as someone else, and it's the exact same for my pooches."
Since Emma and her husband welcomed Marty– named after Marty McFly, the main character in fantasy film Back to the Future – and Layla, who is blind, into their home, the pair of pugs have become an Instagram sensation.
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Emma finally persuaded Shaun to buy puppy Marty in 2014 after years of pining for a pet.
And a year later they added Layla, a rescue dog, to their home.
“I'd seen pugs in the film Men in Black and have been hooked ever since," Emma smiled.
“The first time I saw Marty, I fell in love and knew I had to have him. He loves people, is so friendly and is the best companion."
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Now, after sharing photos of their trendy outfits and days out at pug pool parties and birthday bashes on social media, the duo have become so well-known that Emma admits her pets' social calendar has taken over her own.
“Our weekends are literally planned around the dogs," she said. “In fact, the dogs have a better social life than me.
“They are invited to so many birthday parties, dog shows and pug meet ups that my social life and time with friends gets thrown out of the window."
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The pugs' popularity has become so great that Emma – who spends over $300 a month on dressing and feeding her dogs – now has a diary dedicated to them.
“I can't keep up," she laughed. “I sometimes feel like their PA because they have so much going on."
And with endless party invitations, comes the need for new outfits.
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Keen for her pups to stand out from the crowd, last year Emma took matters into her own hands by buying a sewing machine and learning to sew by following YouTube tutorials.
Then she hit the children's sections in search of boys' and girls' outfits she could customize.
She said, “Now other owners ask me where Marty and Layla get their gorgeous clothes from and I can tell them they are completely unique."
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Emma constantly buys new things for her pets. Some of her favorite high-street purchases include tiny Leicester City Football shirts, swimming costumes for a pug pool party and a denim gilet.
“I will simply cut a hole in the bottom for their tail and go from there," Emma revealed.
“For example, with a gorgeous little denim gilet I embellished the back with the letter M, to give it a bit of a different look and Marty absolutely loved it."
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The pooches' wardrobes also boast a dapper cap and jacket, a Hawaiian shirt, a leather jacket and even cosy pajamas for bedtime.
Emma admits, though, that she has been met with confused shop assistants.
“I'm not always sure on sizes so will ask staff for help. They look very confused when I tell them I am buying aged nine to 12 months for a three-year-old dog and 12 to 18 months for an eight-year old," she said.
As well as their original outfits, Marty and Layla only eat fashionable raw food which is made just for them by a specialist dog food company.
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“But I do let them have the occasional McDonald's Happy Meal too as they are both the perfect weight," she added.
Marty has already done some modeling and secured himself an acting job for Sky Bet.
“I have a showreel for him now as I really want him to become the star I know he is," she said. “I know Marty and Layla love being dressed up. If they didn't, I wouldn't do it."
A version of this article originally appeared on Press Association.
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