Woman who dresses up as a dog reveals online abuse from ‘non-furries’

Despite receiving abuse for the pastime, she hasn’t looked back since, and as a counter balance, she uses her platform to spread positivity and promote individuality.

She first discovered the furry fandom through YouTube videos, becoming more and more intrigued as she delved deeper as she ‘loved the joyful energy that the community brought’ as well as the ‘adorable’ outfits.

In the summer of 2019, Emily decided to create her own fursuit, putting her experience of sewing and knitting (which she’d done since she was a child) and her love of fashion and textiles to good use.

Emily used YouTube tutorials and her own skills to make her first fursuit and instantly fell in love with her colourful creation, which eventually led to her creating her own online fursuit company the following year.

The COVID-19 pandemic was at its height when Emily started her business but she was able to grow her social media channels and rack up 16,000 TikTok followers, which helped boost her creative ventures.

Through her interactions with the furry community online and at ‘fur-meets’ in London, Emily said she has found acceptance, positivity and joy. However, not everyone has been as open-minded.

‘People dislike anyone or anything which is abnormal,’ she said.

‘Drag queens were once seen as weird and now are beloved, making a huge name for themselves at a global scale.

‘I believe the furry fandom will follow the same path, and we are only at the beginning of an upwards journey.’

Emily says the abuse she receives is ‘mainly from young teenagers who are looking for any excuse to spread hateful messages.’ Yet she won’t let this negativity stop her following her passion.

Speaking about this acceptance, Emily added: ‘The furry community was exactly what I was looking for at that time in my life – a place to express myself creatively and meet likeminded people.

‘For me, the furry fandom serves as an escape from reality -a delightful hobby that brings immense happiness.’

Many believe the furry community identify as animals, but Emily wants people to know that that couldn’t be further from the truth.

‘Honestly I don’t know a single furry who identifies as an actual animal,’ she said.

‘We are simply humans who enjoy creating anthropomorphic characters.’

And although she’s dealt with her fair share of nastiness for sharing her lifestyle on social media, Emily doesn’t hold a grudge against the trolls.

‘I truly feel sorry for them,’ she commented.

‘They are clearly people who are not happy in life and therefore have put up barriers to come across as more alpha amongst their friends.’

Emily said she’s ‘forged lifelong friendships’ through the furry community, and is over the moon that the subculture she ‘fell in love with’ has now become her trade.

‘Fursuit making is a labour of love, with each one taking up to three months to make from start to finish,’ she explained.

‘They are completely unique, often sculpted out of foam and covered in faux fur to create the appearance of a fluffy anthropomorphic character, like those you see in films.

‘A fursuit ranges between £1,000 to £10,000 depending on which maker you choose to get it from as it is an entirely custom made wearable work of art.

‘Making fursuits for others became my ultimate dream, a way to share joy with fellow enthusiasts.’

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