Words by Camille Ong
Last week, as I was scrolling down my Facebook news feed, I encountered a post on Who’s your pupper, senpai? about a woman’s trip with a ride-hailing company. (If you don’t know what “Who’s your pupper, senpai?” is, I suggest you join the Facebook group immediately because their posts are sure to bring a smile to your face)
During the trip, she noticed her driver rubbing something on his lap. Since it was dark, she didn’t know what the heck her driver was rubbing. Frightened of whatever he was doing, she asked him to pull over. When she exited the car, the driver also went out to help her with her bags. That’s when she saw the shih tzu.
Apparently, the driver was only petting the shih tzu on his lap!
After I saw this post, I thought to myself, I sure wish I get to meet this driver with his shih tzu. A trip with a cute dog sounds like heaven! I even saved the blurry photo of the shih tzu on my phone so I can send it to my friends!
One week later, I was blessed enough to meet the driver and his shih tzu. It was almost midnight and I couldn’t wait to go home. I was sitting in the passenger seat, tired from my long day when I saw a man by the side of the road holding a fluffy dog in his arms. I was looking at the dog outside when the driver beside me suddenly flicked the car light on and said, “Ako rin meron“.
Confused, I looked over at him and saw the shih tzu sleeping on his lap.
I’m embarrassed to say I squealed and almost woke up the doggo. I couldn’t believe I was actually sitting beside the driver with the shih tzu I saw from a post just a few days ago! I couldn’t contain my excitement so I told the driver I saw his dog on Facebook and that I was hoping to meet them.
“God is gracious,” he told me.
The shih tzu’s name is Sophie. She was named after Sophie Hatter in Howl’s Moving Castle. She used to have a shih tzu brother named Howl but the driver told me he passed away a few months ago. 🙁
After Howl, the driver realized he should enjoy every second with Sophie. That’s why even though he drives from 5PM until midnight, he brings Sophie to all of his trips. When they’re not working at night, the driver brings Sophie with him whenever he gets coffee in the morning and they go to a pet store where Sophie can play around.
The driver considers Sophie and Howl his angels.
When the car arrived at my destination, Sophie woke up from her nap. I asked if I could take a photo with Sophie and the driver obliged. He told me Sophie’s used to taking selfies with passengers but she’s scared of the camera’s flash (take note if ever you meet Sophie!).
I still can’t believe I was able to meet the driver who brings his cute doggo to his rides. Thanks to the driver and Sophie, this is a ride I will never forget!
What do you think of the cute doggo and his driver? Let us know in the comments!
ALSO READ: A New Place for Dog Lovers: Check Out this Indoor Dog Park!
