Man who spent £12,000 to become a dog reveals what his family thinks

A man who spent £12,000 to become a dog has revealed what his family thinks of the transformation.

Named only as Toco, the Japanese man hired Zeppet – a company known for creating sculptures and models for movies and commercials – to build the costume last year.

It took 40 days to make, with the result shared on his YouTube channel @I_want_to_be_an_animal, which has since attracted more than over 52,000 subscribers.

Now, Toco has spoken out following “misinformed” conceptions about the piece, noting that he only wears the costume once a week, usually at home.

“The family was surprised, but received it favourably”, he told The New York Post. “I am very happy that they accepted it.”

Last month, Toco posted a video of himself wandering the streets of Tokyo in the costume, interacting with other real dogs who were seemingly confused. It quickly went viral and has now been viewed 7 million times.

Previously, Toco said he chose a collie, his favourite breed of dog, “because it looks real when I put it on.”

“My favourite is quadrupedal animals, especially cute ones,” he told Japanese outlet Mynavi. 2Among them, I thought that a big animal close to me would be good, considering that it would be a realistic model, so I decided to make it a dog.”

He’d been dreaming of making the transformation since he was little, recalling in an interview with The Mirror that he remembered “writing in my grade school graduation book that I wanted to be a dog and walk outside.”

However, not everyone has understood Toco’s transformation. Receiving backlash online, some have criticised his choice to spend money on the wish whilst others have called it a fetish.

"I’m just sad that people can think that. I love animals and enjoy play-acting like a collie”, Toco further told Mynavi.

“This is my hobby, so I will carry on. It makes me happy and other people happy, too.”