An Oshawa, Ont., man who hopes to inspire goodwill in his neighborhood by walking his dachshund while dressed as a dachshund is turning his “practice” into a legitimate side hustle.
Since the middle of summer, Rich Luchford has been donning an inflatable dachshund suit to walk his dog, Mia. He had no great aspirations, aside from spreading the joy he felt while walking his beloved pet.
“Just the way her ears flap when she’s walking or running…it brings me joy,” he told CTVNews.ca. “So me dressing up like a dachshund walking a dachshund, I figured that would be pretty funny.”
The stunt proved to be a hit with his neighbours, who would stop and talk to him, take his picture and pet his dog. Soon, his daily practice of walking Mia while donning the dog suit, which he found on Amazon, got the attention of the mayor of Whitby.
After seeing his videos on social media, she invited him to come to city hall so she could award him — or more accurately, his social media moniker Undercover Dachshund — a certificate of joy.
Mayor Elizabeth Roy didn’t tell her staff that he’d be coming to pick it up, so when Luchford arrived in his blowup suit, her staff couldn’t stop smiling.
“He went to check in in the costume and asked for a dog license,” she said. “It was a great way to start the day.”
The certificate is meant as recognition by Mayor Roy and Whitby town council for bringing cheer and happiness to the community, she says.
“It’s about the purpose of giving people something to smile about,” she said. “He left our town hall and everyone was laughing about it.”
Luchford has been garnering more attention over the last few months with his dachshund suit. Along with interview requests from the media, he’s received invitations to take part in school assemblies, charity events and is even being offered paid opportunities from dog groomers. Thanks to all the support and interest, his wife and daughter now want to get another dachshund.
“If I could make some money at this and quit my job and stay home with two dachshunds, I will definitely get two dachshunds,” he said.
With the cooler weather fast approaching, Luchford doesn’t plan on putting down his inflatable suit. As a roofer, he’s out in all seasons, which makes him “pretty accustom to weather.”
However, it’s Mia he’s worried about, since her precarious size means it’s been challenging to find her appropriate winter gear. He’s hoping to find local artisans who can make some custom winter outfits for her.
As for future plans, Luchford is hoping to grow his social media audience, with help from his wife and daughter. He also wants to start ‘Wiener Dog Wednesdays,’ where other dachshund owners in his area can join him on walks — though costumes are optional.
But his ultimate wish is to appear with Mia at a Blue Jays game.
“I think it’d be pretty funny to have me and Mia running the bases,” he said.
Click here for more photos of the Undercover Dachshund.
