Hello, my name is Patrick, and I’m a Cat-aholic.
Around the ZippyPaws office, I’m known affectionately as the “Crazy Cat Guy’ – who also happens to be the copywriter. It’s true, I’m crazy about cats. Some might say obsessed. I keep a Tumblr of cat-themed images, I’m constantly viewing cat videos, I’ve attended CatCon and, of course, I have a cat. I’ve always had cats and I always will. They’re the best!
Now don’t get me wrong. I consider myself an equal opportunity animal lover (with the exception of some creepy-crawlies), and I do love dogs. I’ve just never had a dog as a pet, so my experiences with dogs have always been limited to infrequent interactions – that is until I joined the ZippyPaws team late last year. Now, I am always in the company of dogs – and I absolutely love it.
“Now don’t get me wrong…I do love dogs,”
Patrick Mull
Our dog-friendly work environment guarantees that there will always be at least one dog in the office. And when there isn’t, I’m shocked. Not seeing Kramer, Birdie, Björn, Yuki and Ripper has been the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order we are currently under. And not being able to pet my furry work friends is just plain sad.
Even though I am not a “dog person” per se, I must admit that dogs do hold a special place in my heart. I see them as charming creatures with wonderful personalities. And as a bit of a pop culture junkie, I find that some of my favorite characters are indeed dogs. I often find myself comparing the dogs in the office to the ones I see on tv and in the movies.
Canines on the Small Screen
Popular culture has largely influenced my understanding of dogs, so with this blog, I, the “Crazy Cat Guy” will be exploring the world of dogs through pop culture lenses. I’m sure I may stray into other realms as well, but for now, please allow me to share with you some of my favorite animated dogs from television. Until next time, please stay safe and enjoy the extra time you get to spend with your pets!
Snuffles/Snowball (Rick and Morty; Maltese)
First up, we have Snuffles, aka Snowball, from the “Lawnmower Dog” episode of Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty. In this stand-out episode, through an intelligence enhancing device, Snuffles gains sentience, the ability to speak and ultimately the capability to construct a robotic exoskeleton that allows him to take over the world.
Highlights from Snowball’s first appearance on screen include hilariously memorable quotes like “Where are my testicles, Summer?” and “Snuffles was my slave name. I will now be called Snowball because my fur is pretty and white.” If you haven’t seen this classic episode, watch it now!
Mr. Peanutbutter (BoJack Horseman; Labrador Retriever)
Next up is Mr. Peanutbutter from Netflix’s Emmy-nominated animated comedy BoJack Horseman.
Mr. Peanutbutter is the star of “Mr. Peanutbutter’s House,” and serves as a foil to fellow actor BoJack. Whereas BoJack is darkly cynical and sharply clever, Mr. Peanutbutter is portrayed as being simple-minded, a bit childish and a “GOODBOY” – which is what his license plate reads.
Mr. Peanutbutter is also considered a “nice guy” who will happily give you one of his patented Peanutbutter hugs – “crunchy and creamy.” And if his charming stupidity isn’t enough to win you over, the fact that the trunk of his car is filled with tennis balls, or that he says things like “Back in a Jif, Skippy!” should. Plus, he is voiced by the hilarious Paul F. Tompkins!
Brian Griffin (Family Guy)
Now we head to the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island, where the long-running series Family Guy is set, to meet the Griffin family’s loyal pet anthropomorphic dog Brian.
Voiced by show creator Seth Macfarlane, Brian Griffin is a swearing, alcohol-drinking, sarcastic atheist who can best be described as arrogant, pretentious and condescending. He can often be the “love to hate” type, but his loyalty to the Griffin family, and his insane adventures with toddler Stewie, make Brian an overall loveable canine character. And he did give us the line “Whose leg do I have to hump to get a dry martini around here?” What’s not to love about that?!
Santa’s Little Helper (The Simpsons; Greyhound)
1989 Introduced in the premier episode of the classic animated series The Simpsons and gave us the heartwarming story of how the Simpson family found their family dog, Santa’s Little Helper, an abandoned racing greyhound.
Unlike the previous dogs on this list, Santa’s Little Helper is portrayed as a real canine and is often seen chewing on things, destroying furniture and digging holes in the yard. And in the thirty years since he first appeared on TV, he has fathered litters of puppies, attended obedience school, became the mascot for Duff Beer and trained as a police dog – and hasn’t aged a day. Long live Santa’s Little Helper!
“Popular culture has largely influenced my understanding of dogs…”
Patrick Mull
Jake the Dog (Adventure Time; English Bulldog)
Last but not least, we have Jake the Dog from the wildly popular animated series Adventure Time. Creator Pendleton Ward’s Cartoon Network phenomenon introduced us to the Land of Ooo, where a boy named Finn and his magical shape-shifting dog Jake go on adventures and fight the evil Ice King.
Throughout the series, Jake uses his “Stretchy Powers” to save the day, but it is his love of food that makes for some of the show’s most memorable moments. Just ask any Adventure Time fan about the “Bacon Pancakes Song” or Jake’s “Most Delicious” Sandwich. The series came to an end after ten seasons, but don’t fret, four specials, collectively called Adventure Time: Distant Lands are scheduled to begin airing on HBO sometime in 2020!
