Top doggy names
Is your canine’s name among the region’s favourites?
WATERLOO REGION — If you have a dog named Abbey or Bella, you’re not alone.
The monikers are the two most popular in the region this year, based on dog licensing data from the Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge humane societies. Cats are not required to be licensed.
Last year, Bella was the top name in both databases but this year’s numbers at the K-W Humane Society show Bella dropping four places and Abbey, Bailey and Charlie taking the top three spots
There’s a few mainstays on the lists, including the name Buddy.
For Kitchener resident, David Bradshaw, there’s an obvious appeal. His family has had a Buddy for 11 years; he’s a 95-pound goldendoodle.
“It’s often amusing when we run into people who we don’t know and they just start talking to the dog and they go: ‘Hey buddy,’” said Bradshaw. “Then they turn and say, ‘What’s your dog’s name?’”
Bradshaw, his wife and their three children picked the name on their way to a farm to purchase a pup.
“There was a litter of dogs ... and we just said, ‘Hey buddy, come here buddy,’ — and one of the dogs ran over to us,” he said. “So, that became our dog and his name is Buddy.”
It was a family discussion during a car ride that led Stacy Belden’s family to pick a name for their ‘schnoodle’ — a cross between a poodle and schnauzer. The family had picked up their new puppy in Stratford and were driving home when they passed Herrles Country Farm Market. That got them thinking of similar sounding name: Harley.
It also happens to be K-W humane society’s sixth most popular name this year. Belden said the name has really come to suit the shaggy pup.
“They become so connected (to their name) — it’s who he is,” said Belden.
Canine co-ordinator Shawna O’Grady is responsible for naming the shelter’s intakes at the K-W humane society. When choosing a name, she tries to pick quirky names to catch the attention of those looking to adopt.
“We had a dog named Urkle, like Steve Urkle,” she said with a laugh. “And it brought people in.”