Italian luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana has unveiled a new product tailored specifically for canine companions—a high-end perfume designed to keep dogs smelling fresh. Priced at 99 euros, the “alcohol-free scented mist for dogs” also comes with a complimentary collar. However, the launch has sparked controversy among animal rights activists, who warn that such products could cause distress to pets.
A fragrant fefe
The perfume, named “Fefe” after the dog of Dolce & Gabbana co-founder Domenico Dolce, is crafted from “fresh and delicate notes” of ylang-ylang, musk, and sandalwood. Described by the company as “a tender and embracing fragrance crafted for a playful beauty routine,” Fefe is promoted in a stylish video ad featuring sleek Bichon Frises, Dachshunds, and Chihuahuas posing elegantly on a stool. The advertisement begins with the line, “I am delicate, authentic, charismatic, sensitive,” and concludes with, “Cause I’m not just a dog, I’m Fefe.”
Animal rights backlash
Despite the luxury branding, the perfume has drawn criticism from the international animal rights charity PETA. The organization cautions that such products, which are designed to appeal to human sensibilities, may cause significant discomfort to dogs.
“Squirting dogs with a fragrance designed to please humans, as this is, can upset them greatly,” PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk stated. She emphasized that dogs have an extraordinary sense of smell, with “hundreds of millions more receptors in their nostrils” than humans, allowing them to detect odors 10,000 to 100,000 times better than people. According to Newkirk, applying perfume to a dog’s fur could “cause them irritation and distress and interfere with their ability to detect other smells in their environment and communicate with other animals they encounter.”
As Dolce & Gabbana’s new product garners attention, the debate over the appropriateness of luxury pet items like perfumes continues. While some pet owners may be eager to indulge their dogs with high-end products, animal welfare experts caution that prioritizing a pet’s natural needs and comfort should come first.
