Milkshake is the face of London Dog Week, but has touched the screens of many Instagram users.
Milkshake the pink pug — a rare type of the adorable dog — has landed a role as the face of London's Dog Week.
“When I first got Milkshake, there were probably less than 100 in the world. Now i'd say that there are between 200 or 300,” says his owner, Maria De Dozsa.
His social media popularity took off during the early stages of the pandemic, landing him more than 110,000 followers on Instagram.
Because Milkshake’s pink color is rare, some wonder the origin of the breed. “...he's actually a pure kc-registered pug. The reason that he has a different coloring to the kind of standard recognized colors is that he has a partial lack of pigmentation, so it's referred to kind of technically as leucistic.” De Dozsa says.
“So it's not the same as an albino pug...so he has no health issues — he can kind of hear, and he can see perfectly well. It's just that condition that causes that lack of pigmentation, so it gives him the blue eyes, the pink nose, and the kind of white beige-colored fur that he has.”
Milkshake's infamy has earned him several media campaigns including Heineken, Breitling, and Smyths Toys.
According to De Dozsa, the pink pug’s warm presence has done more than make strangers on the internet smile.
“I've kind of struggled with anxiety in the past. I used to have panic attacks actually, before I had Milkshake, and that's something that he's kind of really helped me with.” she says.
“I think a lot of the time, especially running your own business, which I do now, it's so easy to burn out and not pay attention to just taking a break and looking after yourself.”
De Dozsa also shared that the pale pup may be getting a sibling soon — another pink pug she is fostering with a possible name of “Cupcake.”
