Owning a Pug is like being a Rockstar

Okay, not really, but this is something that a neighbor of mine in Manhattan used to say -- because when you own a pug, everyone wants to stop and talk to you. Last night I took Lola on a bit of a walk from Kew Gardens through Forest Hills and back again. We were back in Kew Gardens and on a residential street when I noticed a van slowing down next to me. Someone calls out, "Hey, I like your dog!" I respond, "Thanks" and keep on walking. And then he calls out, "I have one just like it here" and I look over and sure enough there are these two tough plumber-type guys with this pug leaning out of the window. It was freakishly similar to this scenario that happened to me about a month ago. So, of course I have to go over there to talk to them and hold Lola up to meet their dog (Hazy) -- I can see this now as a new ploy for abduction, stalking pug owners and catching them off guard on the guise of introducing pugs.

After leaving the Plumber Pug, I was walking through the main area of Kew Gardens through a bunch of commuters who had just gotten off the train. There was a woman walking up the street with whom I exchange "hellos" and chat with sometimes on the platform in the morning. Anyway, she saw Lola and practically fell on top of her -- "YOU have a PUG!!!" Well, yes, I do. I always wanted to be popular. If only I found out early in life that it only took owning the right kind of dog.