“It’s a fantastic thing to have your dog with you in a cafe or a restaurant,” says Sally Afrasiab, 46, the proud owner of eight-year-old Dude, who sports a Peruvian hat and a bow tie.

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She is among the pug fanatics who post pictures of their dolled-up dogs on the social networking site Instagram.

“He has more clothes than I have!” Afrasiab says, laughing.

“For Halloween, for parties, he loves this. I don’t think that he minds,” she says, casting a glance over the stoically sitting Dude.

The cafe costs US$6.55 to get in – double for those without a pug.

While the human customers chat and rave about their pets, the dogs sniff about, feast on cheese and ham scones, or discreetly cock a leg in a corner.

Lauren Lowe leaves the cafe with a joyous face: she has just spent an hour cuddling dogs and taking pictures with them.

“I adore pugs. I’ve been wanting to adopt a pug for ages but I work long hours, so I can’t,” she says.

“So I’ve just come here today just to see some pugs. It’s just lovely. They’re just gorgeous.”

“A lot of people are very passionate about dogs, especially pugs,” says Aida Martinez. She was “literally stopped by people in the street” wanting to stroke her eight-month-old dog Mia, she says.

It was that passion for pet dogs that made her decide to open Pugs and Pals with her partner.

She hopes a thousand people will come through the doors on the first weekend.

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Other pug-oriented bars have opened in nearby Shoreditch, another trendy London neighbourhood, and elsewhere around Britain, each drawing in plenty of two- and four-legged customers.

“The UK is a dog-loving nation,” says pop-up Pug cafe organiser Anushka Fernando.

“Pugs have such brilliant temperaments! They are incredibly loving and friendly, and get along with other dogs and children so well,” she says, explaining the cafes’ success.

Gudrun Ravetz, senior vice-president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), says there has been a huge surge in pug popularity in the last two to three years.

“A lot of celebrities have been owning French bulldogs – people have seen them, thought they were cute; they have wanted to have the same thing,” she says.

Pugs are the darlings of social media. Doug the Pug has 2.9 million followers on Instagram, another 1.45 million on Twitter and has his own range of merchandise.

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Sensing a winner, companies are cashing in on the craze, with Pug mug shots appearing on all manner of products.

As a result, the number of pugs in Britain has almost quadrupled in the last 10 years to 10,408 in 2016. Pugs are now the fourth-most popular breed, after Labradors, cocker spaniels and French bulldogs.

But the fashion trend is worrying vets.

“People think they look cute with their very squashed face and their big eyes, but we know that this cute look is actually causing health problems,” says the BVA’s Ravetz.

Breathing difficulties, eye problems and herniated discs are among the conditions suffered by Pugs bred to get the required look.

“A lot of people are unaware. They are not doing the research they need to do before they buy the dogs,” Ravetz says.

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“They are buying these dogs purely on looks, purely because they want what celebrities have.”

The BVA is encouraging dog lovers to turn to breeds in better health.

Martinez, like Fernando, gives customers information on Pug health issues and works with associations. But Ravetz remains wary and notes that treats can promote obesity in dogs, aggravating their health problems.

“Showing love to your dog is having time with them and taking them for a walk, not to cafes,” she says.