April 9, 2013

Israelis love their dogs and make sure they get nothing but pawsidential treatment. So much so that while Bonny, Mika, Shoko, Lucky and Lady are still the Top Five most popular puppy names, Barack Obama made a noticeable entrance onto the 2012 National Dog Registry list.

Barking Bonny (Shutterstock.com)

There are more than 400,000 pet dogs listed on the National Dog Registry. According to an annual survey published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, nearly 14,000 new best friends were born in 2012.

From DogTV to sophisticated collars, Israelis are known for coming up with creative ways to keep Fido smiling.

Call out “Bonny ” (the most popular puppy name) in the streets of Israel, and the ministry says thousands of dogs will race to give you a kiss.

Other popular names in Israel for dogs in 2012 were “Lula,” “Mocha,” “Sandy” and “Rocky.”

And though it might sound farfetched, to confirm US-Israel friendship, the latest trend among local dog owners is to bestow upon pooch the name, Obama.

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