There are many dog lovers in the world and most of them express their adoration for canines by owning one or more pups, but that wasn't enough for one man in Japan. He calls himself Toco and since he was a child, he always dreamed of becoming an animal. Now that he is an adult, he's spent two million yen, the equivalent of $15,000, to make his dream a reality, and bought a hyper-realistic human-sized collie costume.
Toco has a YouTube channel with videos of him as a dog, but when it comes to his identity, he keeps it secret. He explained to the Mirror, "I rarely tell my friends because I am afraid they will think I am weird." As for the few he did tell, he said, "My friends and family seemed very surprised to learn I became an animal."
According to Toco, he most enjoys "doing things that only dogs do" since it makes him truly feel like a pet. Videos show him doing everything from walking on all fours to rolling over for belly rubs to lifting up his paws, however he also does some things that you might be surprised to witness a collie doing, like drinking soda through a straw and playing ping-pong.
Toco chose a collie because it is his favorite breed of dog. He enlisted Japanese company Zeppet to create it for him. Zeppet, which typically makes extensive models for movies, took 40 days to fabricate Toco's collie. They discussed their process saying, "We collect photographs taken from various angles so that the beautiful coat of the collie can be reproduced and devised so that the coat will flow naturally."
Many commenters on Toco's videos are moved by them, writing things like, "You inspire us to fulfill our dreams too," and, "I hope I become the animal I want to be as well. You're an inspiration to us." Others encourage him to not be so secretive about his passions, saying, "Don't be nervous of people seeing you! You're just a guy with a quirky hobby. There's nothing wrong with that!"
You can see more of Toco's clips on his YouTube page.