Small and sassy with a dynamite personality, pugs have ruled our hearts for years. And what better day than National Pug Day to take a look at some celebrity pugs that have won hearts and Instagram feeds with their unmistakable charm?
The other day, a friend and I were having early dinner at a bistro when a pug, dressed to impress in Halloween gear, walked by with its human. I kid you not, even on a busy Friday evening, all heads turned, almost in unison, as this squishy little dog strutted by.
That’s the thing about pugs.
They may be small in size but their larger-than-life personalities are hard to ignore.
There’s even a day dedicated to these mischievous munchkins — National Pug Day!
I thought it is only befitting that, on this National Pug Day, we get up close and personal with some famous celeb pugs who are clearly ruling our hearts and the internet today!
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First up on this list is Doug the Pug (@itsdougthepug) who has a whopping 3.7 million followers on Instagram! This Nashville, Tennessee resident has won the People’s Choice Award for Animal Star not once but twice — first in 2019 and then again in 2020.
If Doug’s achievements aren’t giving you an existential crisis, wait till I tell you that he’s starred in a Fallout Boy music video! I mean, some people just do it all, and Doug is clearly coming out on top.
And he is putting his widespread fame, magnetic personality, and inimitable charm to great use. Doug runs (well, along with this owner Leslie Mosier) the Doug The Pug Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for children suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses.
Impressive is too insufficient a word to describe Doug, and I hope human influencers too would take a leaf out of Doug’s book in spreading joy.
Happy National Pug Day Woo Woo & Woof! 😘🐶🎉💋💖 #pugday #NationalPugDay #pug #pugs #whitepug #surfgidget #surfpug #dogsoftwitter pic.twitter.com/pie2W4D76W
— Surf Gidget The Pug ®️ (@GidgetsFanPage) October 15, 2022
If there ever was a social media “ influenstar” with a heart of gold, then that’s Surf Gidget (@surf_gidget_the_pug), the champion surfer pug.
Rocking the surfboard is not everyone’s cup of tea, but this munchkin rides the waves with so much flair, even the sea bows to his talent.
And as if his surfing skills were not enough, Surf Gidget also runs an eponymous non-profit. Surf Gidget The Pug Healing Hearts Foundation unites abandoned shelter dogs with children who have been abused, trafficked, or are disabled.
I’m sure you’d agree Surf Gidget has made massive waves not only in the ocean but through his admirable social welfare work as well.
When you find out what Mack (@pugventurephoto) does for a living, you can’t help but be jealous. The 12-year-old Mack and his human Nate camp and hike all over the United States, exploring the great outdoors.
From the Grand Canyon to the Grand Teton Mountains, Mack has left his pugmarks on every possible terrain you could imagine. Ever since Mack aced his first hike to the summit of Mount Tallac, there’s been no stopping this dynamic duo from indulging their wanderlust to the fullest.
Even as I write this piece, Mack and his daddy are planning their next adventure, giving their 61k+ Instagram followers major FOMO.
Thanks for joining us to celebrate Hamilton. We’ll see you next week for more #PugChat — Rufus pic.twitter.com/N61Us43tER
— Hamilton Pug (@HamiltonPug) June 24, 2021
If you’ve spent any time on the internet, you probably already know of the two famous pugs — Hamilton the Pug (@hamiltonpug) and his brother Rufus.
Originally named Rocco, Hamilton had a rough start in life. As a puppy, he was seen wandering the streets of Ohio with chunks of his fur missing. Thankfully, he was spotted and rescued by the Ohio Pug Rescue.
After being fostered by a loving mom, he soon found his forever home in New York City, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Since his move to the Big Apple, Hamilton has gained a new brother, Rufus, garnered a massive social media following, and even made friends with Snoop Dogg!
The former shelter pet also helps raise awareness about adoption and helps foster kittens with his brother Rufus!
If you thought PewDiePie is unrivaled as the biggest YouTube sensation of this generation, think again. His two pugs, Maya and Edgar, seem to have stolen the limelight from their dad.
The one-eyed Maya, nicknamed Puga and Puga-chan, has been a constant in PewDiePie’s vlogs and even has her own song, Jabba the Hutt.
Maya’s impressive resume does not end there. She makes an appearance on the mini-game PUGGLE and is also a collectible on Tuber Simulator’s Animal Category.
Talk about being a famous pug because you cannot unlock Maya in Tuber unless you have 2.64 million views!
Edgar, her adopted brother, is no less of a celebrity. First introduced to the world in an episode of Fridays with PewDiePie on October 13, 2013, Edgar is a sucker for attention! Although calm and composed, Edgar often tries to meddle with his dad’s recording equipment.
Today, when you think of celebrities with pugs, Pewdiepie and his two pugs are always talked about. Both Edgar and Maya also have Wikipedia fan pages. I mean, if that’s not cementing your celeb status, then I don’t know what is!
That the heiress, socialite, and reality TV star is a devoted dog mom is not news for the tabloids. But, when Paris Hilton adopted her nth dog, a pug named Mugsy, the paparazzi went berserk. Not only was Mugsy undeniably adorable, but the little one was also quite a well-kept secret.
But ever since the paps leaked a few pictures of the Hilton heiress with her new four-legged friend, Mugsy has been the talk of tinsel town, becoming one of the most popular pugs owned by famous people.
He made regular appearances with Paris in her recording studio while she was working on one of her music albums. Mugsy was even spotted accompanying Paris on her numerous shopping trips in Beverly Hills.
Although he has not made an official appearance on Paris’s Insta page @hiltonpets, he has still become quite the celebrity.
singer, Kelly Osbourne is known for wearing matching outfits with her pug- Prudence pic.twitter.com/OiksSbCFgD
— pugs 🙂 (@AllThingsPugs) August 15, 2015
Kelly Osborne’s love for her canine companions is the stuff of legends. She has repeatedly confessed how much her dogs have helped her through difficult times in her interviews. But perhaps no one comes close to Prudence the Pug.
The reality TV star, singer, and actress is often spotted with Prudence, her feisty little pug, everywhere she goes. From recording studios in London to Kelly’s shoots, Prudence is always nestled in her arms, often in matching hoodies or sweaters.
Those close to Kelly believe Prudence is much more than a pet to her. The pug is her fashion and soul twin, too. And she’s quite a tough one at that, braving London’s moody weather in her knit sweaters, vests, and raincoats.
If you think pugs have only recently risen to fame in the age of social media or when international celebs showed a keen interest in them, you’d be mistaken.
Pugs have been loved through the ages.
The earliest records of pugs go back to 400 BC. Pugs were known to be faithful companions to Buddhist monks and some also made their way into Chinese palaces.
Chinese emperors were believed to have been fascinated by pugs, with many of them having an entourage of these mischievous dogs keeping them company.
You’d be surprised to know that the Chinese were so obsessed with pugs, they bred them to have forehead wrinkles that resembled the Chinese letter for “prince.”
What the Fact! Did you know although all pugs have wrinkled foreheads, no two wrinkles are the same? That’s right! A pug’s wrinkles are unique to it, much like our fingerprints.
But, it wasn’t just Chinese royalty that loved pugs.
So did Napolean Bonaparte’s wife, Josephine! Lovingly called Fortune, the pug was extremely attached to its mistress. So much so that Fortune did not refrain from giving the great Napolean a tough fight on his wedding night.
Could you imagine going up against the legendary French general?
Only an adamant pug would be daring enough to challenge Bonaparte, and to this day, all pugs continue to be just as sassy.
This National Pug Day, let’s celebrate the legacy of pugs, legendary in their own quirky ways.
A digital marketing expert by profession, Andrews is a gifted writer and animal lover at heart. A self-confessed "pawrent", Andrews is well-versed in all things dogs. He uses his years of experience of raising puppies into show-quality dogs to help guide first-time pet parents. He believes in spreading the joy that comes with being a dog dad and advocates more families to adopt pets.
