When New York City made it a law that dogs are only allowed on the subway if they are being carried in a bag, New York dog owners collectively said, “Bet!”
Since that law was enacted, many dogs have been seen riding the subway in a bag their owner carries. Some people cut holes in the bag so the dog could walk while still in the bag, but TikToker Jackie Hornung, who goes by Little Bear Lumi on social media, found another way.
TikToker Jackie Hornung Got Her Samoyed A Backpack
Hornung shared a video on TikTok of how she gets her pup Lumi, a one 1/2-year-old Samoyed pup who weighs about 52 pounds, on the subway in New York City. The video has gone viral with over 3.3 million views and many comments.
In the viral video, Hornung answers a follower’s question, “Why do you carry him?” with “Dogs have to be in bags on the NYC subway! So that’s why he’s in a backpack.”
And Lumi doesn’t look like he hates it one little bit! The fluffy pup seems to enjoy being carried around the streets of New York City (but who wouldn’t?) And talk about attention-grabbing! The sweet dog captures so much positive attention on and off the subway.
Many took to the comments to leave their thoughts on the unusual sight of a large dog being carried around in a backpack.
“He looked back like, ‘Mm..only peasants walk,” one follower jokingly said. Another added, “I cannot explain the noises I would make if I walked onto the train and saw that giant cotton ball.”
Another follower said being late to work would be a reality if running into Lumi on the subway was a regular occurrence. “I don’t think you understand how dangerous that is for my job. I would be late to work every time I saw this floor.”
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In a video shared on Hornung’s Instagram page, she shows how it all began with the backpack, captioning, “Lumi’s new ride was a success 💯🎒.”
Instagram account, Dogs of Instagram, commented, “We also use this backpack for our subway rides — need to run into you all on the subway! 😍” Another follower said, “Lumi gets all the high-up views now 🥰.”
Hornung told Newsweek that Lumi “loves being carried” and “gets a lot of pets, which he very much enjoys.” She said that while the pup looks quite large and stands at 2 feet tall, he is surprisingly light in the backpack.
Other Dog Owners In NYC Carry Their Pups In Bags On The Subway
While the requirement of pups needing to be contained in a bag of some sort to ride the subway sounds ridiculous, it’s an actual rule according to the New York City Transit Authority, also known as MTA New York City Transit.
In September 2020, an MTA Board Meeting report outlined the amended rules of conduct for the New York City Transit Authority, saying, “no person may bring any animal on or into any conveyance or facility unless enclosed in a container.”
That rule may have sounded like a fun challenge to some New York dog owners because many found unique ways to get “man’s best friend” on the subway for easier commuting around the city.
TikTok account Gopuff saw an excellent opportunity to advertise while showcasing cute dogs in bags on the subway.
Another TikTok account, TheMotherGothel, also shared a video of pups in bags on the NYC subway, captioned, “The New York subway banned dogs from traveling unless they could fit inside a bag, which for big dog owners was a bit of a problem…But they found a loophole…the loophole being the rules only said the dog had to fit inside the bag, not that the bag had to be small.”
One follower asked, “Why to ban them? I bet the dogs behave better on the subway than most humans.” Another person added, “We WILL find a way!!”
