Bentley the English bulldog loses race but steals the show
The field was Astroturf, the competitors had four legs and the crowds went wild at Vancouver’s Pet-A-Palooza “running of the bulls” on Sunday — bulldogs, that is.
English bulldog Bentley, who counts 253,000 followers on Instagram (@mrbentley_thedog) was one of the early favourites at the annual Yaletown dog race, although he may have entered the field exhausted after being besieged by well-wishers hoping for one of his signature fist-bumps.
“He came in dead last,” said his owner, Brad Friesen.
The 46-pound, six-and-a-halfyear-old purebred English bulldog loves anything adventure-related.
Friesen, a helicopter pilot, said Bentley loves to don his headphones and co-pilot with him, ride shotgun in a car, and paddleboarding. But he’s got a few irrational fears that make him seem, well, all too human. Bentley is terrified of hallways, shiny floors, ladders and large objects, “and anything that shouldn’t be there,” said Friesen.
Bentley is known for backing away from the objects that terrify him with one of the moves that’s made him Instagram-famous — a butt-to-the-camera moonwalk.
Bentley didn’t seem bothered by his loss. He posed with selfie-seekers with the kind of confidence that comes when you know you’ve already got 300 helicopter flight hours under your collar and a YouTube video with 625,000 views.
Friesen never set out to make Bentley famous.
“I started posting stuff on his own account so my friends, and my mom could see the funny things he does without having to go to mine.”
Bentley got a signal boost from UNILAD, a viral video publisher that shared a video of Bentley living his best life (flying in the helicopter, doing some tobogganing, frolicking in the snow) that garnered some 120 million views on Facebook.
Six-month-old puppy Jaxon may not have as many followers as Bentley on his Instagram site @jaxinaction, but pom-chihuahua cross nabbed the first-place trophy in the puppy race. The win garnered him a gold cup and a shopping bag full of treats for his proud owner, Victoria Debenedette, a UBC student.
The real winners at Pet-A-Palooza, however, were the vendors.
One in eight Lower Mainland households have a dog, and the Canadian pet industry is worth an estimated $7 billion annually.
Vendors promoted everything from hemp-oil anti-anxiety tinctures, chiropractic services and massage and organic treats.
Friesen hopes to turn Bentley’s love of flying into something that can help others. “He’s a natural therapy dog,” said Friesen. “Everybody loves him because he’s scared of stuff just like we are.”