PORTLAND, Maine — Along Commercial Street in Portland, there are plenty of signs in front of businesses advertising passersby to come in. Not many, however, are greeted by a dog.
Outside the front door of Danforth Pewter is a sign that asks, “How are you today?” And whether you are doing well or poorly, the sign says you can “Come say hi to our dog!”
Recently, WeRateDogs on Instagram shared photos of Pépère, a Great White Pyrenees, posing with customers inside the store.
Pépère is pronounced "Pep-Pay" and is the French world for Grandfather, or you can use his common nickname: Pep.
“Dogs bring a lot of love to people, so when they come in and they see him laying on the floor, he’ll greet them. … It brings a lot of happiness to people. If they’re having a bad day, they come in and they see him, and it brings a smile to their face. It’s worth it," Denise Holmes, who owns Pepe and works at Danforth Pewter, said.
Holmes said that when she got Pep at 8 weeks old, she decided she would bring him to work with her. Now, Pep is 18 months old and nearly fully grown.
When I walked into the store, I was greeted by a very relaxed, and of course, a very large dog.
Holmes said Pepe will get up, sniff you, and then lay back down most of the time. That’s what happened to me, but Pepe is still an energetic puppy if you can get him excited.
Pep will sometimes be left home if Holmes needs to work the store by herself, but Holmes suggests to come back again, and he’ll likely be back inside the Danforth Pewter store.