Mr. Winkle

Mr. Winkle (1996 to December, 2019[1]) was a very small dog of uncertain breed (possibly Pomeranian/Chihuahua) whose cute and comical appearance made him a small marketing phenomenon and an international cult figure representing the beauty, charm and potential of homeless animals.[2][3][4]

He was rescued as a stray in Bakersfield, California by his current owner, Lara Jo Regan, a magazine photographer, who has had numerous calendars, books and cards published featuring photos of Mr. Winkle in various settings, costumes and poses.[5]

Mr. Winkle was the subject of many national and international newspaper and magazine articles, and appeared on various television shows, including an episode of Sex and the City (Sept. 1, 2002). The Mr. Winkle phenomenon was the most visible during Regan's book tours with Mr. Winkle from 2001 - 2005 which often drew over 500 fans at each location,[6] inspiring the producer of Sex and the City to incorporate the unusual phenomenon into an episode where Mr. Winkle upstages the character Carrie Bradshaw at her first book signing.

Mr. Winkle appeared on the cover of many magazines including Pet Life, Animal Wellness[7] and Time for Kids.[8] Time also named Mr. Winkle "Best Internet Celebrity of 2002" in their online supplement,"On."[9] By 2006, mrwinkle.com had garnered over 65 million hits[10] and came to be known as the first animal celebrity meme, and one of the first celebrities in general, whose fame was sparked by viral internet culture.[11][12] By 2009, Regan had created over 150 "What is Mr. Winkle" photographic characters as well as an extensive fine art series of her muse, collected in the form of published works and art prints. A major museum retrospective of Regan's Mr. Winkle photographs took place July 7, 2012 to October 7, 2012 at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in Salt Lake City.[12]

Mr. Winkle died of Kidney failure in December, 2019 at the age of 161 dog years.