Don’t want a dog, but like the idea of walking a pet around? Spend your Sunday mornings doing what these folks did, running around town with their invisible dogs in tow.
You heard that right. Last Sunday, over 2,000 people participated in Improv Everywhere’s latest mission, which entailed walking an invisible dog around Brooklyn. Within a one mile radius of Bergen St., otherwise sane-looking people went about their crazy business of pretending they had a mutt on their feet.
Using the Invisible Dog Leash toy from the 70s and 80s (a fake dog leash made from hardened rope, shaped to look like it’s being pulled by a pet on the ground) as prop, participants roamed the streets, performing activities that people walking real dogs usually do. Dozens of weird invisible dog owners visited pet stores shopping for supplies, played with their pets in parks and stood near fire hydrants to give their beloved animals a moment of relief.
According to accounts, most people played along. Kids stooped down and petted the invisible hounds, some shopkeepers turned away participants because pets aren’t allowed in their establishments and one clever café even put up a sign that read, “We’re Invisible Dog Friendly.” Sounds like a lot of fun.
In case you’re interested, by the way, Amazon and a few other online stores are still selling Invisible Dog Leashes (priced between $4 to $10). Heck, I might just get me half a dozen so I can pretend I’m a dogwalker. Check out Improv Everywhere for links to more pictures from participants.