A dog who plays fetch with passers-by from a balcony above one of Poland’s most famous streets has become a star. The animal, named Buba, thought up the game herself, according to her owner.
Earlier this month, a video appeared online showing the black dog repeatedly dropping a ball from a balcony. Each time, it was thrown back to her by people walking down Piotrkowska Street, the main artery running through Łódź, Poland’s fourth-largest city.
This dog on a balcony in Poland convinces strangers below to play fetch with him. 13/10 pic.twitter.com/bImLwYeKZZ
— WeRateDogs (@dog_rates) August 7, 2024
The film quickly racked up millions of views and dozens of media articles. A spokesman for Łódź city hall, Paweł Śpiechowicz, also commented, saying: “Once again, the rule is proven that if someone is looking for good fun in Łódź, all they have to do is come to Piotrkowska Street.”
Local newspaper Kurier Poranny reports that Buba’s internet fame has made her a tourist attraction, with some people travelling hundreds of kilometres to see her.
Further videos on TikTok show that the dog has continued throwing her ball to passers-by.
@fitwero #dc #dlaciebie #viral #goviral #trend #piesek #piotrkowska #lodz #tiktokpolska #lifestyle #zabawa #atrakcja ♬ A Summer Place – Hollywood Strings Orchestra
State broadcaster TVP managed to speak to the dog’s owner, who revealed that the pet’s name is Buba and that she came up with the game herself.
“She threw [the ball off the balcony] once by accident, someone threw it back, and it continued,” the owner, Agnieszka, told TVP, which reports that sometimes the game can go on for hours.
A representative of the city’s dog shelter, Małgorzata Kołodziejczak, told broadcaster TVN that “for many dogs, fetching a ball is an opportunity to show natural behaviour, and at the same time to be close and have contact with a human”.
“For her [Buba], it was fun, every dog likes to be the centre of attention,” she added. “Once they love and trust, every dog likes to be the centre of attention.”
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Main image credit: TVP (screenshot)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
