A Japanese man who has spent $15,000 to "become a dog" has opened up about his family's thoughts about the dramatic transition.
The unnamed man who goes by 'Toco' while in costume had a custom collie costume made so that he could live his own unique lifestyle but he has emphasized that it's for his own pleasure and that people are slightly misinformed about the issue.
"My desire to be an animal is like a desire to transform... a desire to be something that I am not," he told The New York Post, adding that he wears the costume only around once a week, mostly at home.
As per the Daily Mail, some have accused him of needing "therapy" and they insist that dressing up as a dog is "some weird sex thing."
Toco clapped back at his trolls, stating: "I'm just sad that people can think that. I love animals and enjoy play-acting like a collie. This is my hobby, so I will carry on. It makes me happy and other people happy, too."
Toco has since gained over 50,000 new subscribers on YouTube after posting videos of himself interacting with strangers in his dog costumes, taking a walk, and just enjoying his life.
People paused to take pictures of Toco in his $15,000 suit, while also stopping to play with him.
Toco admitted that at first that he was "nervous" and "scared" to be going out in public in his 'fit, but he soon overcame his fears.
"Do you remember your dreams from when you are little? You want to be a hero or a wizard," he wrote in the now-viral clip of himself, first describing his dog dream as "unrealistic."
"I remember writing in my grade school graduation book that I wanted to be a dog and walk outside," he told his followers.
In another clip posted to Instagram, the man-turned-pup can be seen rolling around in a field wearing his white and beige costume - a pretty impressive trick if I do say so myself.
Despite the "big response" from strangers, he said that his family is pretty supportive of his doggie lifestyle.
"The family was surprised, but received it favorably," Toco said. "I am very happy that they accepted it."
Even though he's seemingly happy with his family's response, he said that he keeps his "hobbies" away from his work colleagues in case they think he is 'weird'.
"I don’t want my hobbies to be known, especially by the people I work with," he previously told the Daily Mail. "They think it’s weird that I want to be a dog. For the same reason why I can’t show my real face."
Zeppet, the mastermind behind Toco's unique costume, explained the process behind their creation saying: "The point is that the skeleton of a dog can be reproduced on the skeleton of a human."
"We spent a lot of time studying how to make it look like a dog, even collecting photographs from various angles to ensure the beautiful coat of the collie could be faithfully reproduced," they added.
Toco's just living his best life, and we're happy for him!
