Woman spends 500K on dog’s baby shower

Since dog owner Shashane Clarke got Ruffles, her nine-year-old mixed Shih Tzu and Maltese, as a pup, she has not been shy to spend money on her.

But she took that spending to new levels recently, as she hosted a dog baby shower and gender reveal for her pooch, spending $500,000 in the process. Clarke said the possibility of a pregnancy first came up while she was at work.

“My cousin and brother called and said I should buy pregnancy test because she pregnant because she was leashed in the yard and them come see she and her little boyfriend,” she said. “We were joking about it and I was saying I have to keep a baby shower and gender reveal for Ruffles.”

After about two weeks, Clarke began noticing subtle changes in her pup’s appearance.

“I start saying to my brother, ‘Ruffles look fat to you?’” but he said no. But the ‘dog mom’ said that after the third week, she decided to take no chances.

“I brought her to the vet and they said I could do an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy and then an X-ray to confirm the amount of babies,” she said. Once the veterinarian gave her a due date, Clarke went straight into party-planning mode. She told THE STAR that she started shopping for gender reveal items, decorations and food, with a strict $500,000 budget in mind. But the excitement to become a “dog grandmom” was a bit much.

“I think I went over a little bit but not too far,” Clarke said laughingly shyly.

She told the news team that while the celebration attracted some negative criticism, that was shrugged off quickly.

“I have people telling me I waste the money and I should have given to these persons or children going back to school and telling you how to spend your money. But for the most part people are saying they have never seen anything like this,” she said.

For Ruffles, however, the lavish affair was hardly out of character as Clarke explained that her pampered pup is already accustomed to extravagant birthday celebrations – at age two and five.

“My family was more excited than me. After her first birthday, everyone was asking for another party for Ruffles, so once I told them I am having the baby shower, everyone was like they are not going to work,” she said.

Clarke said the gender reveal and baby shower celebration was money well spent.

“We had games, like scavenger hunt, scramble the names, trivia about Ruffles and for food, we had rice and peas, fried chicken, curry goat, cheesecake cupcake, snow cone, small snacks, rum punch, white rum, red wine, Moscato, and other people brought Casamigos,” Clarke noted.

The celebration came just a week after Ruffles gave birth to three pups, two females and a male with one born unalive. But while the father of the puppies was not present, Clarke said the new mother was clearly enjoying herself.

“Ruffles was up and about playing games, checking on her pups and she had other two dog friends,” Clarke said, laughing.

But with people already asking about the cost for puppies, the dog grandmom admitted that she has a problem.

“Before she gave birth, I had people asking if I am going to sell the puppies, but I have a hard time letting go so I am going to keep one,” she said.

For Clarke, watching the pup she brought home years ago become a first-time mother has been a special experience.

“No one can touch her puppies if I am not there. She is standoffish and more protective.”

Clarke told THE STAR that she plans to keep the tradition going for the pup that she keeps from the litter.