A Winter's Tail: Pet owner spends £5,000 on Christmas presents for his DOG

A pet owner has spent £5,000 on Christmas presents this year… for his dog.

Personal trainer Anthony Welsh, 57, from Liverpool, has spent thousands on his Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Prince Cleopatra Superchill – or Cleo, for short.

He has bought the dog clothes, bike equipment and toys in a lavish spending spree.

The seven-year-old pooch was rescued by Mr Welsh when it was just a one-year-old from an unhappy home where he claims she was locked up in a cage and suffered from depression.

Mr Welsh, who says he has spent almost £60,000 on Cleo in their time together, has bought 29 presents for his companion for Christmas, and still plans to grab a few more by December 25.

These include Hifi bike equipment with bluetooth, a microphone and Christmas lights built into the frame, a racing bike worth £699, designer style outfits and toys, a doggie garden palace worth £220 and a pink diamanté designer collar – in total worth more than £5,000.

Mr Welsh plans to take Cleo to dog-friendly Liverpool restaurant Salt Dog Slim’s for a slap-up three course £70 meal for Christmas dinner.

He estimates he has spent £57,000 on the dog to date on gifts, including three miniature cars, a £1,500 pram, six mountain bikes costing £1,000 each and 71 different outfits.

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Mr Welsh said: “Cleo is so clever. She has been given the perfect life and that’s why she is the perfect dog.

“I am very happy to spend this amount of money on Princess Cleo as she is my spirit animal.

“I believe Cleo understands and appreciates Christmas as she is a very intelligent dog.

“So I do not think it’s excessive to spend so much money and time on my princess as you simply cannot put a price on her love.

“She shows me love every single day that goes by, and is my perfect little companion. I am lucky and pleased to be her owner – she really is a way of life.

“She is the ultimate Christmas companion for sure – her favourite part is opening her presents with me followed closely by eating her Christmas dinner with me.

“We are a great team and I can certainly say I got the best dog in the world.”

Mr Welsh spent hours training Cleo after he rescued her and soon noticed her ability to perform tricks – such as surfing, high jumping, quad biking and driving a children’s electric car.

Cleo has won 49 dog show rosettes and at one point even had her own personal assistant.

“I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs, I have a very healthy lifestyle and so does Cleo,” said Mr Welsh.

‘We do dog yoga, dog massage, we spend the biggest part of the day together. A dog owner needs to spend time with their dog, they need to work on the brain and mind of the dog.

“People want to take her home and have tried to buy her in the past, but no money would buy my Cleo.”