Pet Spotlight: Olive the Chihuahua/Terrier Mix

Olive and her owner Daniel Quinn were out for a late-afternoon walk down Myrtle Avenue when we met them. Olive didn’t seem to mind the brisk weather, but then again, she and Quinn couldn’t seem to walk a block without a passerby stopping to coo at the 2-year-old dog. Quinn, 28, said that Olive is used to the attention. She’s even found herself in a surprise career: Modeling.

“I work as a carpenter and set builder for different companies, and recently she comes to work with me every day,” said Quinn. “When she comes with me, sometimes they like her so much that they put her in shots. She’s in a shot with David Stark for Target’s Pinterest campaign and for West Elm’s catalogue for spring. And maybe for another company now. I just get contacted. I don’t know what to do, because I’ve never dealt with animal talent before.”

Quinn adopted Olive from Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue about six months ago. The Williamsburg-based organization rescues dogs from high-kill shelters in the southern United States. Olive made the trip all the way from Alabama after she was picked up from a kill shelter and rabies testing facility.

According to Quinn, his favorite thing about Olive is her expressiveness and of course, her ears.

“I think she’s the first dog I’ve had or known that is very human in her interactions,” he said.

When she’s not modeling for catalogues, Olive likes to chase the squirrels in Fort Greene Park.

“If she could do that all day, every day, that’d be it,” said Quinn. “She never quite catches one. Once she learns how to climb trees, she’ll be set.”

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