A Halifax cycling duo has been turning heads wherever they ride, and chances are it has something to do with the “doggles” the passenger wears.
“I was riding around with him for, I don’t know, a few weeks before I got the goggles and I had taken some footage and I noticed that he was kind of squinting in some of the rides because it’s an e-bike,” said Garry Mullins.
“So we’re going a little quicker maybe than normal and people were just like, ‘get him some goggles!'”
Mullins adopted his beagle, Frankie, about three years ago from the Homeward Bound City Pound in Dartmouth.
Not knowing much about him other than he liked to chase rabbits, Mullins decided to test out Frankie’s sense of adventure by bringing him on bike rides.
“I decided to see if Frankie would like a backpack for biking. I used to use a trailer but that was a little more cumbersome,” Mullins said, “and I got the backpack and he seems to love it.”
Safety, of course, is paramount for riding so Mullins makes sure to strap Frankie in nice and snug before they hit the streets.
“I get him clipped in at the top to start with so he can’t wiggle out and then slip his legs through,” Mullins says as he secures the pooch for their next ride.
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Cruising around the city streets, Mullins decided he would record a live video of the pair and post it to Reddit.
It didn’t take long before thousands of people tuned in to watch the action, leading Mullins to believe Frankie is destined for stardom.
“I think part of the appeal, especially when I’m biking is he’s higher than me. So, it’s kind of like a Cleopatra thing going on, like royalty which is not far from reality,” Mullins said.
The duo have even attracted the approval of the Halifax Regional Police traffic squad.
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HRP Traffic recently tweeted a photo of Frankie and Mullins while they were riding around Halifax’s north end.
While Mullins doesn’t shy away from anyone who wants to say hello to his furry friend, he’s more than happy to let Frankie bask in the spotlight.