There Are Now Fat Farms for Obese Dogs

Is Fido looking a little fluffy? Could Mr. Snuggles stand to lose a few? Time to pack ’em off to a doggie fitness camp, which now exists. Even dogs can’t escape bikini season!

53 percent of American dogs are now “overweight or obese,” the Associated Press reports. And you know what that means: $$$$$$. You see, as the AP explains, “Most luxury pet hotels and spas nationwide will customize a fitness program for a pudgy dog or cat, but only a few facilities have fat camps for large groups.”

Enter the Morris Animal Inn, which offers a five-day fitness program whose amenities outnumber most honeymoon resorts:

Besides the ”pawlates,” the camp was filled with swimming, nature hikes, treadmill trots, facials, massages and healthy treats like organic granola, string beans and carrots. It was designed to give Ceili and 40 other dogs a head start on a healthier life, said Debora Montgomery, the New Jersey facility’s spokeswoman.

Organic granola for dogs. Organic granola for dogs. ORGANIC. GRANOLA. FOR DOGS. Oh, and facials. Let’s not forget the facials, “a cleansing massage that wipes away organic food crumbs and exercise-induced slobber.” The five-day program costs $249 (which, admittedly, is far cheaper than doggie surgery).

“Pawlates,” by the way, is not a joke:

Wonder how you get a dog to do a downward dog? You wouldn’t even recognize that yoga pose in the canine version. ”Doga” and ”pawlates” are a lot alike — both are about stretching while building strength, balance and flexibility. In ”doga,” stretches are close to the ground, while ”pawlates” uses higher balance equipment like large exercise balls, Montgomery said.

Here is a video recap of Morris Animal Inn’s most recent “cardio camp.”

Photo via DmitriMaruta/Shutterstock.