Woman Explains How She Carries 52-lb Dog in Backpack on Subway: The 'Rule'
A video of a large, fluffy dog being carried in a backpack on a New York City subway has gone viral on TikTok, where it has received 1.4 million views.
The clip was shared by @littlebearlumi, the TikTok account of a Samoyed dog living in the Big Apple. An overlaid message read: "Dogs have to be in bags on the NYC subway! So that's why he's in a backpack!"
The video showed a woman walking down the stairs of a subway station carrying the giant dog in a large rucksack. The adorable dog in question is a 1.5-year-old pup called Lumi, whose name means snow in Finnish, owner Jackie Hornung told Newsweek.
Standing 2 feet tall when standing on all four of his feet, Lumi "loves being carried" and is "pretty calm" when sitting in the backpack, Hornung said. "He gets a lot of pets, which he very much enjoys."
Hornung said Lumi weighs 52 pounds, but according to her reply to some TikTokers wondering how heavy Lumi is, he may weigh slightly more (closer to 55 pounds).
Lumi appeared to fit snugly inside the rucksack, with his head sticking out of the top and his paws resting on his owner's shoulders.
Asked whether his tail or legs get "squished" in the bag, Hornung said in a later comment on TikTok that the rucksack is "pretty spacious" and has "a good platform at the bottom" for the dog to "sit naturally in."
The video later showed Hornung standing inside a subway car, where she appeared to be trying to balance herself while holding on to the back of a seat as the clip ended.
Described as "perfectly beautiful but highly functional," Samoyeds are "smart, social, mischievous dogs who demand love and attention," says the American Kennel Club, the world's largest purebred dog registry.
@littlebearlumi Replying to @mjaucrame Big dawg. Big backpack 🎒 #fyp #dog #puppy #samoyed #nyc #funnydog
♬ Collide (more sped up) - Justine Skye
As silly as the rule about dogs on the subway might sound, it is an actual requirement, according to the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), also known as MTA New York City Transit.
According to a September 2020 MTA Board Meeting report outlining the amended rules of conduct for the NYCTA and the other transit systems it operates, "no person may bring any animal on or into any conveyance or facility unless enclosed in a container."
The report added that the animal must be "carried in a manner which would not annoy other passengers."
New Yorkers have pulled some comical and clever antics to get around the rule, according to previous viral posts on Twitter.
In a post shared in June 2017, Twitter user @christianponse wrote: "The New York City Subway banned dogs unless they fit in a bag and the people of New York did not disappoint."
The user tweeted a series of images showing various large dogs being carried in different bags, from large duffle bags and wide canvas tote bags to even an IKEA shopping bag.
The viral video has melted the hearts of TikTokers, who swooned over the giant "fluffy" dog.
Charis Hichens said: "Such a weird rule [crying-laughing emoji]..." User @misssaltyspitoon said: "The cutest marshmallow fluff ball around [floating hearts and smiley face emoji]."
Heather said: "Oh my heart!!! Freaking adorable [floating hearts and smiley face emoji]."
User @bebee19933 said the pup is "insanely cuuuuuuute [floating hearts and smiley face emojis]," while Dianadc58 said: "Omg he is just too beautiful."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
