Video of people dressed as dogs is part of a fetish festival, not a ‘trans-species rights’ protest

Were people howling in the streets of Germany for (non)human rights? 

A Sept. 24 viral video claimed that "hundreds of people, who identify as dogs, are currently protesting on the streets of Germany in support of ‘trans species rights.’" 

This Instagram video was shared by conservative influencers and prompted stories making similar claims from outlets such as the New York Post and The Daily Mail. But this story is fabricated.


(Screenshot of Instagram post) 

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

The gathering of people in dog costumes was not a protest for "trans-species rights." It was an event called a "puppy walk" which was part of Folsom Europe, a days-long fetish festival held annually in Berlin.

The walk was for those who engage in "puppy play," a role-playing fetish for people who dress up like dogs, typically in leather costumes. Those people do not identify as animals. 

The gathering took place Sept. 8 outside of the Potsdamer Platz train station in Berlin, which can be seen in the background of the viral video. The Folsom Europe Facebook page shared a picture of the event that matches several features of the video shared on Instagram, including the flag on the right side and several distinct costumes. 

Featured Fact-check

Viral image

stated on February 16, 2015 in a Facebook post

Says Ted Cruz said, "When gays stayed hidden we had no mass shootings; we had no public nudity. Society was polite. Now anything and everything goes and I blame them."

Folsom Europe did not respond to a request for comment.

The term "trans-species" is used in academia including a field of psychology that seeks to show the commonalities between human and animal cognition, and in genetics research with the term "trans-species polymorphism."

PolitiFact could find no evidence of an organized "trans-species" movement for the right of people to identify as animals. This is not the first instance where people have tried to conflate transgender identities with animals. In 2022, PolitiFact rated Pants on Fire a viral claim that schools were installing litter boxes for students who identify as furries.

We rate the claim that this video shows a "trans species rights" protest False.