Philly Shih Tzus meet up at Fairmount’s Boozy Mutt

The Shih Tzus came from far and wide, rallying to Fairmount’s The Boozy Mutt for an assemblage of adorableness unrivaled in the greater Philadelphia area.

“They’re like joy personified,” said Cheryl Mattis, who drove up from the Baltimore area for this first meeting of Philly Shih Tzus, a group for enthusiasts of these tiny pups. “Like, this thing has never had a bad day ever. She’s happy all the time. You just can’t be unhappy when they’re around.”

Mattis’ pooch is Olivia Benson, named after the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit hero, and she dressed to impress in fetching black apparel embroidered with pink flowers.

Mattis and her daughter learned about the Philly Shih Tzu gathering at the Boozy Mutt — a bar that caters to dog owners — on TikTok, where they follow dogs Hazel and Hendrix. Their owner, Tess Bodden, is one of the organizers of the event. (There is no similar conclave of cuteness held in Baltimore.)

Bodden and Jen Maher are the leaders of the pack, which swelled to a few dozen Shih Tzus by mid-morning.

“It’s always been my dream, to be honest,” said Maher, a marketing professional who lives in Center City (her canine companion is named Kelce, for obvious reasons). “My perfect birthday would be in a winery, with the vines and all that and surrounded by Shih Tzu puppies. This is pretty close!”

Maher organized the group via social media, with Bodden reposting her call to meet, and by advertising with groomers and pet stores in the area.

To enter the Boozy Mutt, on Poplar Street, owners must meet a few safeguards like providing vaccine paperwork (for the pets, that is). But once through the gated entryway there is a bar — with booze, food, coffee, and other non-alcoholic drinks — and an expansive outdoor area for canine romping.

For Maher and Bodden, who also lives in Philadelphia, Shih Tzus are perfect city dogs. With their small statures and friendly dispositions, they are well-suited for apartment or rowhouse life.

“Because they have short legs, so they don’t need to really run,” said Maher. “They can run around in your apartment, or I will open the door to take the trash out to the trash chute and that’s her time to sprint up and down the hall. That’s all she needs, she doesn’t want to go do laps.”

With the Boozy Mutt meetup a success, Maher is planning future Shia Tzu confabs at Urban Farmer on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Aug. 26 with a photographer for pooch portraits. Follow ups will be held at Salty Paws on South Street, and additional locations in University City, and Manayunk.

“They do one every year in New York, but I missed it and I was so upset,” said Bodden. “So when [Maher] reached out to me I was like, oh my gosh, absolutely, because I don’t want to travel all the way up there. This is like heaven.”