Dogs DON'T Belong In Your Purse, Lady!

The inexorable rise of the designer doggy bag, with the likes of Geri Halliwell, Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson constantly toting their shih tzus and malti-poos in monogrammed pet-carriers, has reached critical mass.

Gala openings have become haute-couture versions of dog shows, and welfare charities and animal behaviourists warn of the long-term physical and psychological effects of all this canine cosseting.

"It's clear that these bags are nothing more than papoose substitutes for the childless," says Matthew Morris of the Blue Ribbon Dog Company, a pet-accessories emporium in New York.

"These dogs are treated like eternal babies, which is kind of unhealthy, both for the dogs' development and definitely for their owners'."