Tiny dogs are now wearing neon body armor with spikes to stop themselves being kidnapped by hawks

In the UK, dog walking is a pretty sedate affair. But in the US, it’s a whole different ballgame, with the constant threat of coyotes, hawks and other predators in some states.

Now, some dog owners are dressing their beloved pet up in eye-catching vests topped with spikes to deter would-be predators - and the outfits have been going viral on TikTok.

The protective outfits are sold by a company called Coyote Vest which markets a velcro vest on which spiked accessories can be attached.

The company appeared on Shark Tank a few years ago, and says on its website: “Birds of prey are a serious threat to small animals. Unlike a coyote that attacks with canine teeth, a raptor uses sharp talons to attack from above. Once the victim is under control it's carried away never to return. This is a terrifying scenario so we created an accessory that has the potential to help your dog survive a bird attack.”

It’s made using three layers of Kevlar, and the company says it’s able to withstand an attack from a bird with sharp talons.

If a bird decides to try to carry a pet away rather than attack, the Velcro attachment will release - meaning the bird only gets away the the pricey attachment, rather than the priceless pooch.

It’s a genius idea, if you ask us.

One user shared images on TikTok recently saying they look like tiny landmines, and the montage got an impressive three million views.

When we shared an image of the outfit on Twitter, we were inundated with responses from people saying predators are a very real threat to dogs - scary stuff.