SKYLAR SEAVEY
Staff Photographer
Chautauqua Institution is crawling with canine friends, but for one night only, Chautauquans will be able to witness professional pooches perform fur-tastic feats as evening entertainment.
Puppy Pals Live will make their debut performance in Chautauqua at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Amphitheater with wild tricks and paw-some routines. Both adopted and rescued dogs will perform feats such as hurdle jumps, barrel balancing and car-driving, according to Puppy Pals Live General Manager and Host Yonelle Otero. However, each show is personally customized and refined for its specific audience.
All the dogs that join the Puppy Pals Live team are adopted or rescue dogs, Otero explained.
“It gives a lot more character to the doggies. I love working with them in specific because some of them need a little bit more special attention,” Otero said. “We pick them up from these different situations… and then we make the best things about that dog shine.”
Puppy Pals Live began with founder Wesley Williams’ childhood love for animals, according to the website. From potbelly pigs to miniature ponies, Otero said Williams was constantly infatuated with creatures of all kinds. Only after he adopted his companion dog, Cash, however, was the idea of Puppy Pals Live even conceived. Williams and Cash formed an instant bond and created the first “act,” and a year later, Williams adopted furry friends Rudy and Jetta, making the official first three stars of Puppy Pals Live.
In their first year of offering shows, Puppy Pals Live produced and sold out more than 80 shows across the nation, according to its website. A year later, the troupe reached a height of stardom, competing on the renowned television show, “America’s Got Talent” and placing in the top two in the quarterfinals. In the years following, the pups took the nation by storm, performing at festivals, theaters, fairs and more, even pursuing an 11-month tour in 2023. By 2024, the crew had added more dogs, trainers and hosts to its team and officially rebranded as “Puppy Pals Live – The Action Packed Comedic Stunt Dog Show.”
Chautauquans can expect to see dogs climbing ladders, doing handstands, sliding down slides and many more surprises. Otero even said he typically tries to bring out some of the canine stars before the show; “I’ll come out and I’ll bring the puppies out… [the audience] feels like, ‘Oh, well, I got to see one of the superstars.’” Additionally, Puppy Pals Live will be asking for some audience participation during Tuesday’s performance.
The dogs go through progressive levels of training, but there can be times when they experience a bit of stage fright, according to Otero. To combat this, trainers work specifically to help the dogs associate clapping and laughter as positive reinforcement. “So they just have an association of applause for coming up here, and the audience always helps me with that. They always do great,” Otero said.
Otero hopes everyone will leave the Amphitheater tonight with a pawprint left on their heart.
“I try to bring all the smiles to the families, and honestly, that’s the best,” Otero said. “I’m excited to see — more than anything — the smiles on everybody.”
