A Bark-Mitzvah to Remember: Frankie the 13-Year-Old Pug Celebrates Big

20 September 2025

‘We feel so lucky to get to celebrate a milestone birthday with her,” Mason said. nicolettemason/tiktok

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, what began simply as a milestone birthday for a beloved senior pug named Frankie turned into a viral celebration of joy, community, and whimsy. Frankie, now 13 years old, was honored by her owners Nicolette Mason and her partner Nina Kossoff with a full-blown bark-mitzvah worthy of more than just a few tail wags. The event, held on September 20, 2025, drew over a dozen guests who cheered so loud they lifted Frankie into the air during the Hora, the traditional Jewish circle dance.

Mason describes Frankie as emotionally intelligent, gentle, and capable of making anyone feel like her “good friend,” however brief the encounter. The couple adopted Frankie as a puppy back in 2012. Over the years she’s developed a reputation for sweetness in their neighborhood—always ready to greet people, offering comfort, calm, affection. It was that very lightness of being that inspired Mason and Kossoff to mark this particular birthday with something joyful rather than just another dog toy or treat.

What started out as a birthday party became something more. After footage of Frankie’s Hora moment circulated on social media people who had not spoken to each other in years sent Mason messages. Thousands reached out expressing how uplifting it was to see pure celebration in a moment that felt so grounded, so unforced. In a time when much of online life feels driven by conflict or controversy this bark-mitzvah struck many as refreshingly simple, warm, and human.

Despite the effort and attention, the birthday event was made with love and few pretensions. There was cake, there was music, happy faces, proud laughter, costumes or maybe just cute bows—anything it took to make Frankie feel special. One guest passed Frankie under a chair lifted high, as is customary in Hora dancing, and cheered, “Mazel tov!” The scene was loud, joyful, maybe a little silly, but unmistakably heartfelt.

Mason says that, while there are no plans for a full-time pug-party business, she is thrilled if others feel inspired. “If we’ve inspired anyone to do something joyful and bring a little whimsy into their lives, bringing their loved ones and community together I love that,” she told The Post. She hopes Frankie will make it to a “Sweet Sixteen,” and there are whispers already of next parties, next celebrations. But not business-focused, just love-focused.

The response to the bark-mitzvah underscores how much people need these moments. Social media commenters shared that seeing Frankie celebrated in this way felt like a needed break from the weight of daily news. Many recalled their own pets, their own birthdays, moments when laughter came from something small and tender. Frankie’s party became more than about one dog. It reminded many that love, attention, community, and ritual matter no matter how big or small or how furry the guest of honor.

One of the day’s most adorable moments came when Frankie was lifted into the air during the Hora while guests clapped and smiled. The delight in the room was palpable. Mason later said that seeing Frankie splay limp in arms, comfortable and trusting, made all the planning worth it. “She’s just the sweetest,” Mason reflected, “We feel so lucky to get to celebrate a milestone birthday with her.”

Some details: the venue was casual and outdoors, decorations light but cheerful. A few European pastries, streamers, a small dog-friendly cake. No extravagant staged moments, just people who care, dogs who wag, love in each gesture. Frankie wore a little bow. Maybe she didn’t understand what a bark-mitzvah meant, but she felt the energy.

Even though this is a story about a dog, it’s also about humans. About how we mark time, how we care, how we celebrate those we love. About how ritual even a playful one can bind us to memory and to each other. About how pets become parts of lives, of families, threads in community tapestries. Frankie’s bark-mitzvah brought people together, helped people feel something warm, reminded people that the world still holds moments of light for those who look for them.