Owners go Too Far with Dog Grooming: Hysterical Pictures as owners dress their pets as Film and TV Characters
- Dogs dressed as characters from Star Wars, Disney and Sesame Street feature in 'extreme dog grooming' contests
- Winners of the competitions can scoop more than $30,000 in prize money for single event
- Animal photographer Ren Netherland travels thousands of miles every year to capture the images
By Daily Mail, 18 June 2013
A lot of people will have dressed up as a character from a Disney or Star Wars film at some point in their lives but not many will have dressed their dog as one.
These astonishing pets were all contestants at different 'creative dog grooming' contests across America, where winners can scoop over $30,000 in prize money for a single event.
The images were taken by animal photographer Ren Netherland, from Florida, who travels thousands of miles every year to the country's most extreme grooming competitions.
May the paws be with you: The Star Wars character Yoda is the inspiration for this dog at a creative grooming competition in Hershey, Pennsylvania
A dog dressed as characters such as Big Bird and Elmo from Sesame Street at a creative grooming competition in Pasadena, California
All of the dogs have been sheared and coloured to achieve the final look. Contestants at the grooming competitions visited by Mr Netherland included a dog dressed as the characters of Sesame Street, one dressed as Yoda from Star Wars and another dressed as different Disney characters.
Other dogs were dressed as tigers, elephants, robots, lions, dragons, and exotic birds. It takes two intense hours for the groomers to produce their masterpieces before facing judges.
Miss Piggy on a Poodle's bottom. Behind-the-scenes at Creative...
Mr Netherland said: 'The owners have to grow out their dog's hair in preparation for the show - so that it's long enough for them to make something. 'They train and rehearse throughout the year in preparation for the competition, whittling their creation down to a fine art.
'The best thing for spectators is that when the poodles fist come onto the stage, they just look like normal poodles. Suddenly they are transformed before your eyes into something colourful and completely different. The dogs seem to enjoy the pampering and all the attention.'
A dog dressed with the head of a lion and adorned with drawings of other animals including a penguin at a creative grooming competition in Seacaucus, New Jersey
This dog - at a creative grooming competition in Hershey, Pennsylvania - has been impressively dressed by his owner as a half tiger and half elephant
Walt Disney: Another dog entered into the grooming competition in Seacaucus, New Jersey is adorned with designs of Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse
Hershey, Pennsylvania: These two dogs at the same competition feature an impressive floral design and image of a shark swimming through the sea
Other dogs included one with a dragon design in Pasadena, California, and one adorned with images of exotic birds in Seacaucus, New Jersey
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