Tinkerbelle the dog is a multitasking star. Not only is this Papitese taking the Internet by storm with her series of YouTube cover versions of pop hits by artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen, Sam Smith, and Taylor Swift, but she’s racking up the Instagram followers with her fashion-forward outfits.
Thanks to the wonders of email, I contacted Tink’s owner, Samantha Carrell, to find out more about the rescue pup that NYLON magazine has called “the cutest dog around.”
Dogster: How did you first meet Tinkerbelle?
Samantha Carrell: Tinkerbelle was approximately 13 weeks old when she came into my life. She was adopted by an elderly couple who realized she was too small for them to handle. They turned her over to a local Long Island shelter, Little Shelter, where a friend of mine was working at the time. Little Shelter told me about this tiny Pomeranian and Maltese mix who was traumatized, wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t leave the back corner of the cage, had injured legs, and was not even one pound in weight. I went right over to the shelter and adopted this tiny little gem. Tinkerbelle was my first pet ever — we are a perfect fit!
What’s her personality like?
Tinkerbelle went from being very shy and timid and not wanting to leave her cage to becoming the most loving social butterfly on earth! She now loves to meet new people and has done a complete 360 from her first experience with humans. I say that Tinkerbelle now has “wagitude”!
When did you first realize Tinkerbelle might have some musical talent?
I shot music videos for a friend, Gina Naomi Baez, and Tinkerbelle always watched, listened intently, and tried to photo bomb, so I put her in her first music video, for a cover of “Applause” by Lady Gaga. Tinkerbelle shined and stole the spotlight! After that, I started to receive positive feedback from her appearances and realized Tinkerbelle was more than just a model — she is a music video superstar. She loves to learn new skills for each video and enjoys her different wardrobe changes and new tricks.
Tinkerbelle plays the drums in a video of Sam Smith’s “I’m Not the Only One.” What advice would she give to another dog trying to learn to play the drums?
Always have positive wagitude. Don’t give up — you can do it!
What does she like about Sam Smith’s music?
Tinkerbelle loves Sam Smith’s beat and smoothness. She can listen to him all day. He mellows Tinkerbelle out and puts her in a puppy zen mode.
Which other artists would Tinkerbelle love to play along with?
Tinkerbelle would love to play along with Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, or Nick Jonas, ’cause they all make her swoon! And also, of course, there’s her idol Taylor Swift.
Tinkerbelle is also a canine fashionista. What does that involve?
A plentiful wardrobe, eating right, exercising on a daily basis, lots of beauty sleep, practicing fierce poses, and avoiding cheese fries.
So what fashion tips does she have for summer ’15?
It’s all about having fun with fashion. For the summer, Tink is loving the fringe trend. You can check her out on Instagram rocking a fringe collar from LazyBonezz. Bows are also a huge trend for pups this summer — you can rock them on your neck or in your hair.
You mentioned that Tinkerbelle is a big Taylor Swift fan. What fashion advice would she give her?
Tinkerbelle says, “Woof, I wish I could rock the red lips like you — never lose them. But, I’d love to see you in a tutu like me one day.”
Read more by Phillip Mlynar:
- Let These Dogs Show You How to Celebrate Tax Day
- Watch Fritz the Golden Retriever Fail Gloriously at Catching Food
- Don’t Delete #Puppyspam. Overdose on the Cuteness!
About Phillip Mlynar: The self-appointed world’s foremost expert on rappers’ cats. When not penning posts on rap music, he can be found building DIY cat towers for his adopted domestic shorthair, Mimosa, and collecting Le Creuset cookware (in red). He has also invented cat sushi, but it’s not quite what you think it is.
