A dog-loving influencer who spends £12,000 a year on his pet pooch is taking no risks when it comes to coronavirus and has created matching masks to protect him and his canine companion from germs.
When former model Israel Cassol, 38, strolls through the streets of west London’s upmarket Chelsea, where he lives, with his miniature pinscher Toby in their identical protective gear, people coo adoringly over the cute canine.
And, despite NHS assurances that pets cannot be infected with coronavirus, Israel, who is originally from Brazil, is taking no chances, saying: ‘Toby is like my son, he’s my baby. I will do everything I can to protect him.
‘Every time we go out now for a walk, we will wear our matching masks, which I’ve customised with gold stars.
Former model Israel Cassol, 38, who lives in West London, created matching breathing mass for his pup Toby, eight, in order to protect him from the Coronavirus (pictured together)
Israel, who hails from Brazil, spends on average an eye-watering £12,000 a year on his beloved pooch
‘We’ve been stopped in the street by people who’ve asked, “Why is he wearing that? He will be fine.” But I ask how they know he will be fine.
‘People stop me all the time and tell me he’s adorable, and he’s so friendly.
‘He’s such a rare breed, especially with his colour, so people are always interested in him.
‘So I’m not taking any chances. I heard from the Brazilian news that a dog in Hong Kong had caught coronavirus from his owner. It really scared me. I thought, “Oh my God, I have to protect Toby”.
‘I will also wipe his paws and legs with baby wipes before and after just to be on the safe side.’
But flamboyant Israel, who shares his home with his venture capitalist husband Rupert, 56, and Toby, was not content with his family wearing any old masks.
He said: ‘My friend gave me a mask and I asked if I could have three, one for me, one for my husband and one for eight-year-old Toby.
‘The mask was already black, but it was so boring, so I thought I had to put some style into it. I decided to customise it with gold star stickers.
As Coronavirus is now classified as a pandemic across the world, Israel put his pet’s well-being first (pictured)
To keep his dogs stylish in these uncertain times, Israel adorned the already black breathing masks with gold stars (pictured)
Replying to critics who said the mask was cruel and kept Toby from breathing, Israel said he had the health of his pooch (pictured) at heart
Israel assured that Toby could breathe with the mask (pictured) and that he was only trying to protect him from the pandemic
‘It’s so simple, but so beautiful. I think if you need to wear a mask you might as well customise it or bring some colour to it.’
But when Israel – who is known online as The Birkin Boy, for his £110,000 ten-strong Hermes bag collection – posed with Toby in matching masks on his Instagram, which has more than 18,000 followers, some animal lovers said it was cruel.
‘I was quite shocked that they were saying what I was doing was cruel and that he might not be able to breathe,’ he said.
‘I am trying to protect Toby and, of course, he can breathe.
The former model, who owned his own agency in London before selling it in 2014, said his pooch was perfectly happy with the mask
Israel takes Toby(pictured) everywhere with him, from work events to lavish journeys in his private het
Safety first. Israel (pictured) explained he had stopped taking taxis or taking the underground and instead drove his car to all his appointments, with Toby sitting in a special basket in the back of the car
‘He’s my baby, I’d never hurt him and when I put his mask on, he seems very comfortable. He walks around perfectly happily.’
Israel, who ran a modelling agency from 2014 until last year when he sold it, becoming a full-time influencer in September, working with designer brands including Hermes, Philip Plein and Smith’s of Wapping, who sponsor his Instagram content, says he and Toby have both scaled back their jet-set lifestyles in the wake of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
His job means that, as well as being sent items to review, he is regularly invited to fashion events and gets complimentary skincare treatment and gifts.
The pet owner pictured) has stopped shaking people’s hands and cancelled all his travels and said he would self-isolated in chase he showed symptoms
The former model adopted Toby as a puppy eight years ago, paying a friend £500 for the adorable pooch (pictured)
There are also plans for him to present a Brazilian television show about travel.
But with COVID-19 now being classed as a pandemic, making it a global problem, Israel is taking extra care when he and Toby go anywhere.
He has stopped taking Ubers or using the underground and is now driving everywhere in his Range Rover sports car, with Toby sitting in the back in his special basket.
He said: ‘I’ve stopped shaking people’s hands, I won’t kiss people and I drive to all my appointments.
Toby enjoys a life of luxury under Israel’s care, eating chicken and beans instead of regular dog food
Israel Cassol with his dog, Toby who are both wearing masks to protect themselves from Coronavirus in Chelsea. The dog lover is also wiping his pets paws down with baby wipes as an extra precaution
As well as wearing matching face masks, Isreal is taking precautions by avoiding the underground and driving everywhere
‘I was meant to be going to Berlin with a friend this week, but I called British Airways up to cancel my flight.
‘I can’t give up my job and still need to go to events, so I just make sure to wear my mask.
‘Like everyone else, if we get the virus, we will self-isolate and hope for the best.’
Israel, who settled in London 14 years ago, meeting his husband in 2011 and trying the knot in 2018, paid £500 for Toby, who he got from a friend as a puppy.
Now the pooch enjoys a lifestyle fit for a king, even travelling on the couple’s private jet.
Travelling in style! Israel and his beloved dog travelling by private jet. The influencer has scaled back on his travel during the coronavirus outbreak
Come fly with me. Toby travels around the world with Israel and his husband on his private jet (pictured)
Israel, who called Toby his pride and joy, said Toby was a very healthy dog and has never been ill (pictured on the couple’s private jet)
Israel spends about £500 a month on Toby’s food and ‘spa treatments,’ bringing the total of doggy expenses to £1,000 a month in total
‘He sleeps in my bed, he won’t sleep otherwise. If I leave him by himself, he just cries,’ said Israel.
‘We travel together, he flies with me to our other home in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, in our private jet.
‘He has a great lifestyle. I give him very good food, not dog food, but chicken or salmon with rice and beans. He’s a very healthy dog and has never been ill.
‘He will come with me to work, to photoshoots or events.
‘He’s my pride and joy and I couldn’t think of ever being without him.’
The proud dog owner said his pet was a natural model, and was worth every penny he spent on the pooch
The pooch regularly wears cashmere and wears a special perfume Israel picked up for him
Toby is woken up every day at 8am, to do his business outside, before having a breakfast of dog biscuits, followed by his morning walk.
Twice a week Israel brushes his teeth with special doggy toothpaste and twice a month he goes to an upmarket pet spa for a shower and to get his nails done.
He regularly wears cashmere and smells delightful, thanks to a special perfume Israel picked up for him from Milan, Italy.
‘It’s designed for dogs and is a lovely vanilla scent,’ he said. ‘You can imagine what happens when he meets other dogs and what they want to do to him because he smells so good.
Israel brushes Toby’s teeth twice a week with a special toothpaste and has the dog’s nails done twice a month
Israel worked as a model and managed his own modelling agency for years (pictured.) Now he’s a full-time influencer
Best-friends for life. Israel is deeply attached to Toby, whom he calls his son, and said he wouldn’t know what to do if the pooch was not in his life
The breathing masks is comfortable and Toby happily wears it, Israel confirmed after sharing pictures of the pup (pictured) online
Israel is known as the Birkin Boy online due to his collection of ten bags worth £110,000 (pictured)
A Birkin for every colour. On top of his love for Toby, Israel is a fierce collector of Hermes bags pictured)
The doting pet-owner said his pooch knows ‘how to work the camera,’ just like the former model (pictured together)
‘I spend about £500 a month on his food, so I think with his clothes and spa treatments, it’s probably about £1,000 a month in total.
‘When he wants something, he will show his leg to me, that’s his way of communicating. I know he wants to go out or food and of course he gets what he wants.
‘But he’s worth it. His fans certainly think so. Like owner, like dog he’s a natural model. When he walks, he looks like he’s on the catwalk and he really knows how to work the camera.’