Daisy channels the ancient Egyptian queen.
By Meredeth Barzen
Remember that old children’s song, “Down by the Bay” with the absurdist lyrics? “Have you ever seen a llama / Wearing pajamas / Down by the bay?” Well we’ve got an extra verse: “Have you ever seen a pug / Dressed up as Cleopatra and posed in front of a miniature pyramid / Down by the bay?” OK, it doesn’t rhyme. But it’s in keeping with the theme.
Some dogs like to play fetch. Some like to chase their tails. And some, like Daisy the pug, like nothing more than to model—actually, Daisy might be the only one. She got into the fast-paced modeling biz during her puppydom, when her mom, Kim Vogel, decided to make Daisy the star of her photography and scrapbooking hobbies. “My goal is to make a book for each year of her life and do two layouts a month. This scrapbooking hobby is the reason that I have so many pictures of her with different themes,” Kim says. Those photos of Daisy number over 170,000.
And what kind of themes does Daisy portray? “For the theme photos it is important to dress her up, for example like Cleopatra, a ballerina, a cowboy,” Kim says. “She seems to get in character when I photograph her. She looks sweet in her Angel costume, sinister in her Dracula costume, and thoughtful and scientific in her Astronaut costume.”
Daisy clowns around.
Kim maintains that Daisy absolutely relishes her stardom: “Daisy gets many treats during her photo shoots and I suspect this is one of the reasons that she loves to model. She also gets a lot of attention and praise, which she loves as well.”
Most of the pictures are taken in a small photo studio in Kim’s basement. “When I get her treat bowl ready and ask if she wants to do a photo shoot, she perks up and happily follows me to the basement. Then she sits impatiently while I set up the camera, backdrop and props. She keeps reminding me to hurry up by barking every few minutes. She is the happiest when she is in front of the camera. Sometimes when I go to the basement for something other than a photo shoot she goes to her studio and starts posing, and I have to tell her that we are not taking pictures right now.”
Though Daisy doesn’t have a favorite outfit, “she has an extensive wardrobe,” Kim says, “but like most models, she prefers to wear things only one time. She is very good at standing up on her back legs because this is a position she uses to beg for treats. It is a cute pose to show off some of her lovely dresses.”
Fascinated by Daisy’s rising fame yet? Would you like to own an original Daisy theme portrait? Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic, Daisy’s official dentist (Daisy loves Dr. Knutson!” Kim says), will be displaying 150 of Daisy’s photos through the month of April, and is kicking off the month with an art gala/wine and cheese party starring the legendary pug herself. And on May 1 from 4-7 p.m., there will be another special event just for pugs and their owners to check out the photos and “support one of their own,” as Kim says. All of the photos will be for sale, and 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the homeless animals that Pet Crossing supports through their partnerships with Cornerstone domestic abuse shelter, Animal Ark and Minnesota Valley Humane Society.
The Details:
Event: Pet Crossing’s 2010 Art Gala/Wine and Cheese Party, starring Daisy Vogel
Date/Time: Friday, April 2, 6-9 p.m.
Location: Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic, 10861 Bloomington Ferry Road, Bloomington
Snacks: Wine and cheese
Special guests: Kim and Daisy Vogel
Entertainment: Kim will be giving a short talk about Daisy’s life and modeling skills.
Daisy’s wardrobe: The dog will be wearing a purple dress with ruffles and silver sparkles, which she got at the Pug Nationals.
