Minnesotan To Meet: Ouie Pierre, The Frenchie
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A snappy dresser. A cover model. A greeting card creator, who gives back to charity.
Inver Grove Heights-native Ouie Pierre sometimes has to be "leashed in" he does so much.
This nearly 6-year-old (42 in dog years) never stops making friends. That's what makes him this week's Minnesotan to Meet.
This dog definitely doesn't have it rough.
"He lives a pretty charmed like, yes," says his owner, Jason Hall.
Everyone in Minneapolis seems to know Ouie Pierre.
"Yep, he's a celebrity," Hall says.
The "Frenchie's" ears are quite large, making his name, which means "hearing" in French, that much cuter.
"People will walk by and want to pet him and talk to him," Hall says.
Ouie's dad works in advertising, which helps the 6 year old land lots of gigs.
"He did an ad for the Cosmopolitan hotel of Las Vegas," Hall said. "He's been on DaVanni's billboards in Uptown, and on the cover of Lavender magazine.
Even in person, Ouie is a model dog.
"Everyone wanted to stop and pet him, so I started a Facebook page for him," Hall said.
His signature sign off is BOL which stands for Bark Out Loud!
"It's innocent, it's sweet," Hall says. "He writes to people and they write back, and he posts lots of pictures."
Those pictures led to a greeting card line that's carried at Ollu Dog Wash and Urban Retreat.
"We sell the cards and then he donates money to the French Bulldog Rescue Network," Hall said.
They sell for $2, but they also raise awareness about a rescue issue often overlooked.
"There's black dog syndrome, where a lot of people won't adopt a black dog from the pound," Hall said. "He doesn't think you should think that way."
That's why you'll see him rocking outfits, just don't expect him to be like most in fashion and starve himself or exercise for too long.
"He usually sits on my shoulder," Hall said, "like a baby."
Because once you "paws" on all the work he's doing, Ouie is still just Hall's four-legged friend.
"I call him a love barnacle," Hall says, "because he wants to be on you at all times."
The joke is that Ouie may be turning 6 on Halloween, but his legs are only 2, since Hall carries him around so often.
If you're ever around St. Anthony Main, you may just spot Ouie. It's his favorite spot to walk in the city.