LIST: Local celebrities who brought home adorable tiny dogs that are popular in Korea
There’s just something special about small dog breeds that make them irresistible to let go. It may be their irresistable fluffiness, adorable eyes, sweetness,and quirky antics, but one thing's for sure, having them by your side can instantly make your life infinitely brighter.
In Korea, toy dog breeds, or dogs that weigh 15 lbs. or less, have become a trend. Even K-drama stars are into these tiny adorable pups, sharing cute snaps of them online. There's Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young, who are both doting parents to their Bichon Frise fur babies, BLACKPINK Jisoo's maltese Dalgom, and rapper Jessi’s pomeranian Chewie.
As K-culture is popular among Filipinos, it was only a matter of time before our local celebrities have adopted Korean pets into their homes. Here are some of them:
Sharon Cuneta
Megastar Sharon Cuneta may have dominated every single role in her extensive career as an actress, but when it comes to animals, it seems that she is quick to surrender to their overloading cuteness.
In an interview with the Philippine STAR back in 2020, she shared that her condo houses six doggies, namely, Daisy, Ari, Cookie, Twinkie, Pippi and Halle, and that having them in her life has helped her with some tough and lonely moments.
In November that same year, the actress announced that she had welcomed a teacup Shih Tzu into her life named Wookie, having brought him home from a Korean pet store. According to her, it was her first male Shih Tzu since her first one, Sollie, passed away a long time ago.
She then explained the inspiration for the name, "His name is Wookie like Chewbacca. But more because of [South Korean actor] Ji Chang-wook. Dapat Jongi, short for [South Korean singer] Jonghyun, kaya lang mas malaking dog dapat kapag Jongi! His nicknames are Woowoo for NCT127’s Jungwoo and Kibum or Keyshi for SHINee Key! I'm so in love with my new baby boy."
Ice Seguerra
Along with her love for dogs, Sharon also has a heart of gold as she gave singer-songwriter and actor Ice Seguerra a Korean dog to cheer him up after the latter's former furry companion Porky sadly passed away.
In an Instagram post in February last year, Ice posted a note from Sharon that came along with the surprise gift.
"I pray this baby boy brings you lots of happiness and love and companionship for many years to come! Remember always that many people love you and want you to be happy always, especially me!" the note read.
Ice expressed his gratitude at Sharon's thoughtful gesture, highlighting, "Love is so beautiful that it never ends with death. And when you openup your heart to love and be loved again, then healing can start doing its magic."
Sharon recounted in a separate Instagram post that she had asked Ice to pick a dog, and he had locked his eyes on a handsome Maltipoo that he has named Belly.
Scarlet Snow Belo
It's no secret that Vicki Belo's daughter, Scarlet Snow, already has a wide space in her heart for animals at such a young age.
In a past interview with her very own mother, seven-year-old Scarlet shared that she has three adorable tail-waggers that mean the whole world to her. And in December, Scarlet brought home a new puppy from a premium pet store in the Philippines that originated from South Korea.
Named Xantiego or Xanti for short, she introduced her Cotton de Tulear to her Instagram followers and shared that she had waited a long time to get welcome a new dog in her family.
"Daddy and Mommy needed to see first that I know how to take care of pets. Owning a dog is a big responsibility," she wrote on her Instagram post.
She also impressed her fans about her knowledge in caring for her furry companions, highlighting how it is important to give them enough sleep and water, pet them all the time, and give them baths and food.
But for her, the most important thing is to "love it, because for dogs, love is a choice."
Sofia Andres
Actress Sofia Andres is also not shy to share to the whole world just how much she treasures her fur babies. In January, Sofia welcomed the year 2023 by getting a new Maltipoo and named her Annie to serve as her daughter's best furry friend for life.
Aside from Annie, Sofia also owns a giant poodle named Talia, and together, the two are sure to bring a smile on Zoe's face and serve as her comfort pals during her toughest moments.
Cat Arambulo
Social media personality and entrepreneur Cat Arambulo has made sure to let the whole world know just how much she loves the adorable doggos in her life—Yogi and Luna, her toy pomeranians, and of course the OG, Hugs the coton de tulear.
She also has two more toy pomeranians named Moksha and Samadhi that she brought home with her after falling in love with them at a Korean pet store.
"Moksha licks my face to wake me up when he wants to sleep on his bed and will 'bark' a few times if he needs to poop. He doesn't really bark. It's like he squeaks, but it's only if he needs something," Cat said in an Instagram story about Moksha's cute antics, describing him as "everything she was promised."
Vern and Verniece Enciso
Vern and Verniece Enciso are not only among the most respected influencers in the Philippines, but they're also unapologetic fur mommas.
Both sisters are proud parents to Maltese puppies named Bordeaux and Cabernet. Vern also has a Shih Tzu-Pomeranian named Chewy and a Pomeranian-Siberian named Milana.
In 2020, she decided to get new baby boy Pomsky from a Korean pet boutique to serve as Milana's playmate.
"Milana’s energy is crazy and no dog here at home can keep up with her so having another one will hopefully make her happy already! Yesterday was a little difficult because he already kept trying to hump her and Milana wasn’t having it," Vern wrote on her video documenting the adoption.
