Moment shirtless fetishist in 'pup-play' mask stops to interact with little girl's dog at LA Pride parade

A 'pup-play' fetishist in bondage gear and a dog mask bit off more than he could chew when he tried to befriend a little girl's Labrador at the LA Pride parade.

Thousands came out to see the colorfully dressed marchers make their way down Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday, with many wearing the animal masks associated with the BDSM subculture.

But one shirtless activist found his attempt to reach out rebuffed after he ducked down to say hello to a little girl in a pink dress and ponytail, standing alongside a woman wearing a Palestinian flag.

The dog had been bedecked in a rainbow flag but did not seem to welcome the approach, lunging at the canine imposter and sending him scuttling back to the march with his tail between his legs.

'The dog knew what's up and didn't like it,' wrote one viewer on X.

A little girl's Labrador offered no solidarity to a play-pup fan who tried to befriend it at LA Pride

The snubbed fetishist beat a hasty retreat after the rainbow-decked animal lunged at him

'They'll excuse it by saying she's just a kid and doesn't understand,' another added.

'But all the adults around her understand and that's kind of the problem.'

Revelers had gathered for the world's longest-running Pride parade after the celebrations kicked off on Saturday with a concert headed by Ricky Martin at Los Angeles State Historic Park.

Former Star Trek actor and longtime LGBT activist George Takei headed the parade as 'Icon Grand Marshal'.

'As someone who has witnessed the struggles and triumphs of our community over the years, I am filled with gratitude for the progress we have made and inspired to continue the fight for full acceptance and equality for all,' he said in a statement.

LA Mayor Karen Bass waved to the onlookers from the back of a convertible pink Cadillac as she took part in the parade.

'We wrap our arms around you,' Bass told event sponsors ABC7. 'We love everyone in Los Angeles and we lift up the LGBTQ+ community.'

'I'm excited to be here,' added LAPD interim chief Dominic Choi.

'It's a great opportunity to showcase our department and our partners in law enforcement, and our inclusivity and our diversity.'

Takei was joined by veteran wrestler Cassandro, El Exotico and LA Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley as honorary marshals.

'Power in Pride' was the theme of the LA's Pride parade this year on Hollywood Boulevard

The parade, established in 1970, is the longest-running in the world   

LA Mayor Karen Bass was keen to show her support: 'We wrap our arms around you,' she said

Former Star Wars activist George Takei was honored as 'Icon Grand Marshal'

'These individuals epitomize this year's theme of Power in Pride, not just through their own achievements, but through their unwavering commitment to advancing LGBTQ+ rights and visibility,' said sponsor Gerald Garth.

'As this year's grand marshals, they embody the essence of empowerment, showing us that our differences are not obstacles but sources of strength. 'Together, they inspire us to embrace our identities, break barriers.'

The pup-play contingent were also prominently on display, warmly greeting supporters lining the route.

The fetish has exploded in popularity since 2014 and sees players don an array of masks, hoods, muzzles, collars, leashes, mitts and tails, sometimes coupled with brightly-hued knee socks stamped with paw prints.

'The collar is really important symbolically and that is something that most of us tend to wear almost all the time, at least when we're in non-work settings,' Dr Phillip Hammock a psychology professor at University of California, Santa Cruz told DailyMail.com.

'The collar signals our pup identity. It has our tag on it.

'There was sort of this subculture starting to develop and take hold of being a pup or puppy and it appealed to me because it seemed like a more nurturing sort of approach to engaging in some kink play or kink activity.'

But many on social media were appalled to see so many children dressed in rainbow colors cheering on a parade of near-naked men outfitted in sexualized clothing.

Celebrations kicked off on Saturday with a concert headed by Ricky Martin at Los Angeles' State Historic Park

But many on social media were appalled to see so many children dressed in rainbow colors cheering on a parade of near-naked men outfitted in sexualized clothing

The event finished with an LA Pride block party that continued into the evening 

'It's all so tiresome,' wrote one. 'How can anyone think this is remotely appropriate for children?'

'Legitimate child abuse to take your child to one of these parades of degeneracy,' added another.

'There was a time when people kept this locked up behind closed doors and enjoyed the secrecy about it,' observed a third.

'Kind of like classic raves. Nobody knew but everybody that wanted to know, knew. We don't care what you do, we just don't want you to blast it in front of the children.'