He used to be shy, but found confidence in the furry life (Picture: mediadrumworld.com)

Mark Smith is a specialist E-4 US Army soldier, and one very good boy.

The 22-year-old from Morganton, North Carolina, USA, likes to dress up as a giant dog and enjoy his alter ego: Mark the Husky.

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Mark, whose costume costs thousands of dollars, was introduced to furry fandom at the age of 14.

Once he turned 18, he left home and enlisted himself in the military. He started his basic training, Advanced Individual Training (AIT), then traveled to South Korea.


Now he goes to furry conventions as a squad leader, shift supervisor and he also runs a YouTube channel about his world.

Mark said his squad leaders don’t care about his other world (Picture: mediadrumworld.com)



He said: ‘When I first joined the fandom, I was a bit shy and somewhat anti-social. That didn’t really change until after I got a fur suit and started going to conventions.

‘I made a lot of friends quickly. It forced me out of my shell and helped me become more extroverted and social.

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‘The fandom is a place that offers artists, creators and just every day individuals to share this interest.’

Mark said that whenever he moved somewhere new, the first thing he would do is found the nearest furry community.

But his transition into the furry world wasn’t a smooth one — Mark’s parents struggled to support it at first.

He explained: ‘I had always played video games with anthropomorphic characters in them, so it really wasn’t a shocker that I would have been interested in the furry fandom.

‘I grew up in a small town with a religious family. They didn’t really support the fandom at first; they were always worried about the internet.

‘They believed in face-to-face interactions and thought any friendship made over the internet wasn’t real.’

Mark said his squad mates and comrades in Korea either didn’t care about his obsession or thought he was ‘weird’.

As for the general public, he says people have mixed reactions, but most are positive.

He added: ‘Most people just see someone who is just trying to have fun dressed up as a dog. To get to make someone smile always makes me happy.’