Even though Cup of Dog is certainly ‘dog’ based in content, while perusing the web looking for some doggie tidbits to share, Louis and I happened upon a story about a penguin named Pierre. Louis and I love penguins, Louis has even been known to dress like a penguin on occasion.

Back to Pierre. Pierre the penguin resides at the California Academy of Sciences and is an astounding 25 years old. He is a Jackass Penguin (named for the noises these birds make, not a comment on them, personally) and like any bird of 25, his age had caught up with him. He had lost vital waterproof feathers, leaving him shivering, with an embarrassing naked, pink bum.

Not content to leave Pierre shivering on the sidelines while his penguin brethren leaped, swam and played, the aquatic biologist attending to Pierre at the Academy first rigged up a heat lamp, to stave off the cold. Then she cooked up an even warmer solution.

Pierre was to have a custom designed wetsuit, just like the type people (and some lucky dogs) wear to keep warm in cooler waters. The Academy enlisted Oceanic Worldwide, a supplier of dive gear to make Pierre his suit.

Like any custom garb, fittings were conducted during the design of the suit to ensure satisfactory fit and function. The suit covers Pierre’s torso, fastens with Velcro and has openings for his flippers.

Since being attired six weeks ago, Pierre has regained his youthful vigor, put on some pounds and even grown plumage back on his rear. Like a penguin of only ten years, Pierre is happily hanging with his crew, swimming in the penguin tank and showing off his custom finery.

While the scientists attending to Pierre can not say with authority that the suit is responsible for the restored feathers and revitalized health, Louis, Ella Bean and I can all attest that sometimes all anyone needs is a brand new outfit to perk up an otherwise dreary situation.

My brave Louis deals with a situation, not unlike Pierre. He has failed to grow in much fur on his tummy. While quite kissable, his bald tummy does make it rather uncomfortable to lay on cold tile or stone flooring and Louis will resist touching his tummy to anything uncomfortable at all costs. Like Pierre, he deals with his situation by wearing a top to keep his tummy warm. In support of Pierre, Louis has chosen to don his designer penguin duds and model them for this article.

Louis also wishes to suggest to any readers who are anti-dressing animals, that they walk naked through a variety of weather conditions and see how they feel.

Sometimes looking good is not at all superficial!

Image of Bark Street Journal via Haute Diggity Dog, available for purchase at www.hautediggitydog.com

Image of Pierre the Penguin via the California Academy of Sciences

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