Woman Spends Hundreds of Dollars Celebrating Her Dog’s Birthday with Lamb Chop Cake and DIY Decorations (Exclusive)
Hillary Bowles’ dog, Lux, on his 3rd birthdayCredit: Courtesy of Hillary Bowles
Lux, a 3-year-old Goldendoodle from North Carolina, has been attached to his stuffed animal Lamb Chop ever since he stole the toy from his older brother on his first day home
His owner, Hillary Bowles, has thrown him a Lamb Chop-themed birthday party every year since his first birthday
For his third birthday on Oct. 27, Bowles spent approximately $300 on a celebration featuring a bakery-made cake, handmade decorations and plenty of Lamb Chop toys
On the very first day Hillary Bowles brought her Goldendoodle puppy Lux home, he stole a Lamb Chop toy from his older brother Leo and immediately started sucking on its head. Three years later, the beloved stuffed lamb is still the only toy he falls asleep with, and his obsession has become the inspiration behind an annual birthday tradition.
For Lux’s third birthday on Oct. 27, Bowles, 34, went all out with a Lamb Chop-themed celebration, complete with a custom cake, handmade decorations and plenty of new toys. “Since Lux has been obsessed with Lamb Chop from literally the first day we brought him home, a Lamb Chop-themed birthday was the obvious choice!” the Charlotte, N.C., content creator tells PEOPLE.
Bowles shared the celebration on TikTok, writing over the video, “my dog is obsessed with lamb chop so we throw him a lamb chop birthday party every year.” In the caption, she added, “I’m gonna cry. Happy birthday to my sweet lamb chop loving baby!”
But Lux’s attachment to the stuffed animal began long before his family started planning elaborate parties around it. The toy originally belonged to Leo, the oldest of the family’s three Goldendoodles, until Lux discovered it as a puppy and decided it was his.
“He found Leo’s Lamb Chop, stole it, and immediately started sucking on its head. And he has quite literally never stopped!” Bowles recalls.
Every night, Lux searches for one of his beloved “lambys,” as the family calls them, and settles in with the toy in his mouth. He sucks on its head while kneading his paws, a routine Bowles compares to a baby falling asleep with a pacifier or security blanket.
It doesn’t matter whether the Lamb Chop is brand new or has been loved for years, and Lux has never shown the same attachment to another toy. “Out of all the toys we’ve bought him over the years, he’s never sucked any other toy to sleep,” Bowles says.
The family’s collection has grown considerably over the years, thanks to Lux’s habit of carrying the toys everywhere. “Naturally, we’ve accumulated quite the collection! I’m almost embarrassed to admit how many we have,” she admits.
Lux on his 3rd birthdayCredit: Courtesy of Hillary Bowles
Lux’s first Lamb Chop birthday party came when he turned 1, and Bowles has kept the tradition going ever since. A self-described birthday enthusiast, she enjoys coming up with new ways to celebrate each of her dogs based on their personalities.
For this year’s party, Bowles took charge of the decorations, even transforming ordinary balloons into miniature Lamb Chops. She ordered the themed cake from a local bakery, joking that baking is one creative project she prefers to leave to the professionals.
Between the cake, decorations and other party details, the celebration cost approximately $300. Bowles says she enjoys making the decorations herself and finding new ways to bring Lux’s favorite toy into the festivities each year.
The birthday boy wasn’t the only dog enjoying the occasion, either. His older brothers, Leo and Bodhi, joined in the excitement.
Lux enjoying his birthday cakeCredit: Courtesy of Hillary Bowles
“They might not fully understand the concept of birthdays, but they definitely know when something special is happening!” she shares. According to Bowles, Lux even jumped up on her before heading over to investigate his new Lamb Chop toys, a moment she interpreted as his way of saying thank you.
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And although Lux’s parties have become a family tradition, his brothers receive equally personalized celebrations. Bodhi, who loves playing with balls, recently enjoyed a tennis ball-themed birthday, while Leo, an enthusiastic swimmer, had a pool party.
Hillary Bowles dogs, Leo, Lux, and Bhodi, on their birthdays this yearCredit: Courtesy of Hillary Bowles
For Bowles, who describes Lux as sweet, affectionate, playful and occasionally dramatic, celebrating the dogs has become one of her favorite family traditions. She’s also enjoyed seeing people online take an interest in the birthday festivities, especially knowing how much happiness her three Goldendoodles bring to her family.
“At the end of the day, our dogs bring us so much happiness, and celebrating them is just one small way we get to give some of that love back,” Bowles says. “They’re our family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
Source: Nature
