The Day Harry Manilow Apparently Became a Celebrity

If you’re reading this blog post, I would like you to take a moment and look at the photo above.

That is me.

Harry Manilow.

Walking across the grass.
Curls bouncing.
Tongue out.
Completely unaware that apparently I have become a controversial internet figure.

Let me explain.

It started as a normal day.

I woke up.
Checked the kitchen for breakfast.
Conducted my usual inspection of the treat jar to make sure the inventory levels were acceptable.

Then I reported to work at Zoomies & Purr, where my job titles include:

Director of Snacks
Head of Customer Greetings
Chief Morale Officer
Unofficial Supervisor of All Deliveries

A very serious career.

But at some point during the day, my human James looked down at his phone and made the face humans make when they read something on the internet that isn’t very nice.

Apparently someone on Nextdoor had sent a barrage of messages that were… let’s say… not very supportive of my work.

Which raised an important question.

Does receiving hate messages mean you have finally arrived?

Is this the moment I have officially become a local furry celebrity?

Because I’ve noticed something lately.

People come into the store and say things like:

“Is that Harry Manilow?!”

Some of them bring their dogs to meet me.
Some bring their kids.
Some bring snacks (these are my favorite people).

And occasionally someone just wants to say hello to the dog they’ve heard about from a neighbor.

Which, if I’m being honest, feels pretty amazing.

But here’s the thing I don’t quite understand.

While one person somewhere on the internet was sending negative messages…

At the very same time, something else was happening.

Dogs were meeting new friends.
People were finding food that helps their pets feel healthier.
Neighbors were laughing and talking in the store.

In other words…

Real life was happening.

The good kind.

The kind that looks a lot like the photo above.

Just a happy dog enjoying the day, walking across the grass without a single worry about internet drama.

Because here is something I have learned in my professional career as a Bernedoodle.

Most people are good.

Most people love their animals.

Most people smile when they see a dog walking toward them with a wagging tail.

And that is the part of the world I plan to keep focusing on.

So if this is the price of becoming a local furry celebrity, I suppose I can live with that.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have very important work to do.

Someone just opened a bag of treats, and I believe I am required to investigate.

— Harry Manilow
Director of Snacks & Neighborhood Morale
Zoomies & Purr