One Monday evening in a Parisian apartment near the Buttes-Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement, 27-year-old photographer Gil Anselmi welcomed friends dressed as a dog to the tune of DJ BoBo's Chihuahua (2003). A dog-themed playlist looped on her speakers. Some guests had their noses painted like snouts, others wore a "Didier" t-shirt, referring to a popular French film about a dog who one day turns into a man, without losing his dog habits. In the living room, balloons were attached to the wall in honor of the star of the evening: Anselmi's dog, Sony, an Australian shepherd, celebrating his 9th birthday. "In the end, the dogs don't care, I mostly do it for laughs and for my friends. It's deliberately cringey," said the organizer with a smile. Guests were handpicked for this dog's birthday. Owners and (dog) friends arrived at the apartment. All have some connection to Sony. Most have already looked after him.
Dog birthdays are increasingly celebrated in France. The "dog birthday" has been trendy since 2020, following the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Mylène Bertaux, journalist and author of Toutoute, La nouvelle place des chiens dans nos vies ("The new place of dogs in our lives"). "In less than 50 years, the dog has gone from the doghouse to the sofa, then from the sofa to the bedroom, or even the stroller. More and more dog owners take them on vacation, confide in them, sleep in bed with them, give them gifts at Christmas and celebrate their birthdays."
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