Christmas cards are a cherished annual tradition for Percy. He sends out dozens of them every year 鈥� more than 70 last Christmas, each with a personalized message.
But this year, things might be a little different. With the sa国际传媒 Post strike stretching into its second week, Percy鈥檚 dad isn鈥檛 sure when he鈥檒l be able to get all those cards in the mail, or whether they鈥檒l reach their destinations by Dec. 25.
Percy isn鈥檛 worried, though. 鈥淐ards might be delayed, but that鈥檚 okay!鈥� he posted online recently. 鈥淓verypawdy who wants a card will get a card. That鈥檚 the Percy PromiseTM!鈥�
Percy is a nine-year-old golden doodle with 33,000 followers on Instagram. Percy鈥檚 dad is Adam Barrett, a creative content lead at a marketing agency in Halifax who moonlights as a stage parent for his celebrity pup.
Barrett launched Percy鈥檚 Instagram account the day he got him, when Percy was just eight weeks old. For years, he posted on his dog鈥檚 behalf every day, cultivating a devoted following with photos and jokey, earnest captions written in Percy鈥檚 voice. Sometimes the posts feature his other dog and cat, Dolly and Herbie. But Percy, 85 pounds of blond curls sporting a bandana, is the star of the show.
Lately, Barrett has been scaling back on social media, but the Christmas card tradition, which began four years ago, is still going strong. Every year around Halloween, Percy sends out an invitation to his legions of fans. 鈥淒o you want a pawliday card from me and Dolly and Herbie this year?鈥� he posted earlier this month. 鈥淟et me know in the comments below!鈥�
Barrett sent out 72 cards last year to Percy鈥檚 followers (some human, some canine), and has plans for a similar number this year. Some go to folks in Halifax, but others go to followers all over the world, in Germany and El Salvador and Australia.
鈥淪ometimes when I sit back and think about the idea that I pretend to be a dog on the internet and I send cards to people all over the world every holiday season, I just kind of take a deep breath and think that life has taken some strange turns,鈥� he said in an interview.
This season鈥檚 card, designed by a friend, is an homage to the holiday comedy Home Alone, with Percy as a shaggier Macaulay Culkin. In years past, the cards have paid tribute to other popular holiday movies, A Nightmare Before Christmas, National Lampoon鈥檚 Christmas Vacation, and A Christmas Story.
Barrett said he personalizes the messages as much as he can. He鈥檒l put on a Christmas movie, sit down and bang them out over a couple of nights, and send them out in early December.
This year, though, Barrett doesn鈥檛 know when he鈥檒l get the cards out the door. He supports the 55,000 sa国际传媒 Post workers who walked off the job on Nov. 15 鈥� so does Percy 鈥� but he said he may deliver cards to local friends and followers in person if the strike continues.
He might also send out digital cards to people who want them, he said, though he would rather not. 鈥淚 like getting mail and giving mail,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 sort of a lost art or lost joy.鈥�
So this year, Percy鈥檚 long-distance followers may not get their Christmas cards until sometime after the holidays. But Barrett said there might be an upside to the extra wait, if it comes to that. 鈥淵ou know what it鈥檚 like 鈥� in mid-February,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd so it's nice to get those cards a little later. It sort of gives you a little boost in the middle of the winter.鈥�
Barrett doesn鈥檛 make any money off the Christmas cards, and the printing and postage aren鈥檛 cheap. But he said the tradition makes him feel connected to other people.
鈥淚'm never going to be the prime minister of the country. I'm never going to be the leader of a company, or a president of something, or the CEO of anything,鈥� he said. 鈥淚'm just a small-time guy on the East Coast of sa国际传媒. But I get to bring a little joy to people all over the world.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 23, 2024.
Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press
