Since starting the blog, we’ve interviewed many members of the hospitality industry, and one constant among the interviewees has been a profound love for their pets. We thought it would be great to share this love with our readers.
That’s why we launched an ongoing feature called “Wag Wednesday” to showcase industry peeps and their pets. Know someone who wants to be featured? Email us at bark@miamifoodpug.com.
This week, we’re featuring Michael O’Rourke, Owner of Dishes for Dogs, and his Pomeranian, Ripley.
Your Name: Michael O’Rourke
Your Pet’s Name: Ripley
Sex: Female
Age: 5 years old
Breed: Pomeranian
How did you come to own your dog? What drew you to her?
I was living in Northern California, and my roommate’s sister had Pomeranian puppies. I went to visit family during Christmas and before leaving explicitly said that we were not taking in any of the puppies … but while I was away, one was secretly brought home! After flying back, I quickly learned that we had a new house guest.
The little fur ball (she seriously looked like a ball of fur) was only a couple months old when I first saw her. As someone who wasn’t a huge Pomeranian lover, there was something different about Ripley that immediately drew me to her. Anybody that has met Ripley can agree that she is a little bundle of love that you can’t help but love back.
If I wasn’t working, I was hanging out with Ripley. I was able to take her everywhere with me and even got her comfortable riding in my backpack while I biked!
What’s the story behind your dog’s name?
Ripley was named after Sigourney Weaver’s character in the Alien movies. The idea was that she would be a super badass like Ripley from the movie. It didn’t quite work out that way.
How would you describe your dog’s personality?
Ripley is pure love. She just wants to give you licks, cuddle and play. Everybody says they have the sweetest dog but they are all wrong … Ripley is definitely the sweetest!
How has owning a dog made your life richer?
I honestly feel like in every way. My whole life has transformed because of Ripley. Not only have I become a more responsible, patient and caring person, but also Ripley is the whole reason I am where I am today. I could write a whole essay on this question.
Every aspect of my life is better from waking up to her licks in the morning to having her by my side at work all day. Some of the most relaxing parts of the week are playing fetch with her, where I can take a step back from everything and just have fun with my pup.
It’s said that dogs reflect their owners and vice versa. How does this apply to you and yours?
People often describe Ripley as pretty chill and relaxed. I like to think some of that rubbed off from me, but I hope one day I can reach her level of chill.
Tell us a funny story about you and your dog.
When she was a puppy, I tried to crate train her but she kept on breaking out. I couldn’t figure out how in the world she was managing it — it was a somewhat complicated locking mechanism. The weirdest part, though, was she would always be back in the crate when I got home.
I set up a camera to record her, and as soon as I closed the front door she would ferociously start swatting at the lock. After a minute or two, she managed to pop it in the right spot; after a few more minutes, she had the door open. She was out of frame for the rest of the recording until she heard me coming home and ran right back into the crate, acting like nothing happened. It was all pretty hilarious, and it earned her the right to never go in the crate again!
Are you involved in any pet organizations or philanthropies?
We’re new to the neighborhood, but our goal at Dishes For Dogs is to work with a number of adoption groups to sponsor and host events at the store. It’s important for us to be big supporters of all the great non-profit dog adoption groups.
We follow a lot of dog social media accounts like Doug the Pug, Rocco’s Contemporary Life, and Menswear Dog. Do you? Which are your favorites?
I really love looking at Dog and His Boy (Bernard’s also a super cool guy) and PopYourPup – they have some ridiculously funny posts.
See past editions of Wag Wednesdays here.