I wrote it for Franki. You’re probably here for someone else.

Franki was an English Bulldog with a tongue that never stayed in his mouth, a personality that filled every room, and an ability to make complete strangers feel like they’d known him their whole lives.

He was born on Valentine’s Day 2020, the only puppy in his litter. Isaac lifted him out of a carrier at LaGuardia during lockdown, and inside a month the rules had changed. The morning massages became non-negotiable. The breakfast countdowns became performance art, ten down to one while he spun in circles. The walks through Domino Park became a daily parade where he held court and accepted love from everyone who passed.

Online, 1.5 million people followed his journey across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. They watched him growl at dogs on television, refuse to walk on cold mornings, stare at Brooklyn sunsets like a philosopher contemplating eternity. They fell in love with his tongue-out smile, the one that became his signature, the one that said “I’m here, I’m happy, and I’m not putting my tongue away for anyone.”

He was a father figure to Freddi, another English Bulldog who arrived in 2023. Reluctant at first, Franki eventually became the patient, grumbling protector that Freddi needed.

He survived three pneumonia episodes in his first year, and never had another respiratory emergency after that. He fought every time. Then on March 28, 2025, at five years old, he was gone.