Jackie Hornung has gone viral on TikTok for breaking one rule – taking her big white Samoyed dog, Lumi, on the New York City subway. In a video that has amassed 1.4 million views, Hornung is seen entering the subway with Lumi in a large green walking backpack on her back, with his paws on her shoulders and his head peeking out to the side. When asked by a follower why she does it, Hornung simply responded that “dogs should be in bags on the New York subway! To make sure that’s why he’s in a backpack!” Despite being around 2-feet tall on all fours, Lumi is only about a year and a half old and “loves being carried,” according to Hornung. He’s also quite calm in the K9 sports bag because he “has a lot of animals to look at and enjoy.”
Despite its size, Hornung stated that the puppy is surprisingly lightweight, informing a commenter in the video that he weighed around 55 pounds. When asked if his legs were “flattened” while in the bag, Hornung responded that his bag was “quite spacious” and had “a good system on the bottom for him to sit normally.”
Don’t ever miss a story: subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best that people have to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to Cornell University’s website, New York law states that “No person shall bring any animal upon or within any conveyance or facility unless enclosed in a container and carried in a manner which would not annoy other passengers.”
Working dogs with police or service dogs that have been trained to guide people with special needs are exempt from this rule. However, even people with service dogs must show “proof of affiliation with an expert training school” and that the pet is an authorized service animal, Cornell University added.
In response to the rule, several people have come up with creative methods for bringing their dogs on the train, including some who have put their dogs directly into an Ikea bag with holes for the dogs’ legs. Several other New Yorkers have posted photos of themselves carrying their dogs in purses and sports bags.
Lumi himself seems to enjoy the experience of traveling through New York. The dog can be seen taking a look at various iconic places, such as Grand Central Station, Central Park, and Rockefeller Center, on his Instagram page.
