Meet our 2026 Spokes-pets

Frannie (The Pug)

Meet Frannie, a beloved fur-child of Ralph and Abbe Bernstein, owners of Downtown Dogs Daycare & Boarding and Dog’s Day Out. Frannie has been a constant presence in Ralph and Abbe's lives, serving as an inspiration behind their deep commitment to the Twin Cities pet community. Through their business and personal philanthropy, the Bernsteins have become pillars of support for local animals, with Ralph currently dedicating his leadership and vision as the Chair of the Board of Directors for Mission Animal Hospital. Below is a brief interview with Ralph and Abbie.

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Tell me about Frannie's personality. 

Frannie, our almost 15-year-old silver fawn Pug whom we call our “land-going mini manatee,” is a daddy’s girl through and through. I guess that’s to be expected since for the first half of her life it was just Ralph and Frannie. The two of them went everywhere together, including to downtown Minneapolis at least five days a week where Ralph dropped her off at doggy daycare before heading to his office. The only exception to Frannie’s fierce fatherly focus is if someone else has food—then they are her new BFF. Frannie is beyond food motivated; she’s food obsessed. One dog behavioralist even told us she wouldn’t use treats as a training tool because the mere presence of food was too distracting. She “Hoovers” all food down the hatch speedy quick—quite a feat for a dogger with only a handful of teeth left! Her favorites are cheese, bananas, bell peppers, cucumbers, and Cracker Jacks. The only foods she’s not fond of are raw apples, raw carrots, and weirdly, French fries.

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What are some of her quirks & behaviors that make her loveable?

Sticking with the food theme, Frannie “reminds” us when it’s mealtime. She can be sound asleep, snoring away in her bed, but when her internal clock strikes 5:00 PM, she sounds her dinner bell with incessant yipping until her meal is served. When she eats (or more accurately “snarfs”) her dinner, she sounds like a goblin. It’s not very ladylike, but she does somehow manage to maintain her figure. Keeping her at a healthy weight has always been a priority for us as it’s key for longevity, especially in brachycephalic breeds with pushed-in faces like Pugs.

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How does Frannie, and your other pets, add to your quality of life? 

We know all too well from personal experience—and research has shown time and time again—that there are numerous mental and physical health benefits that come from having a furry companion. Ralph adopted Frannie not long after the sudden death of his late wife, Stephanie, in 2011. At a time when his whole world was in chaos, caring for Frannie was the one thing that made sense and brought him some happiness. After all, it’s impossible to look at her and not smile. But it wasn’t just Frannie; it was all dogs. As Ralph puts it, “Those first years were really hard and pretty dark for me. Dropping Frannie off at daycare in the morning and picking her up in the evening were the bright spots in my day. I always got a jolt of positive energy by seeing all of the other dogs.” It's what eventually inspired Ralph to buy the Downtown Dogs business.

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How did you come to support Mission Animal Hospital?

Back in 2017, while doing research to find resources to support the pets of people experiencing homelessness (a cause we feel particularly passionate about), Ralph came across Mission Animal Hospital. He was thrilled to learn about Mission’s innovative model providing high-quality, affordable veterinary care, and to find out that the nonprofit was located right here in the Twin Cities! Ralph and Dr. Sue Miller connected immediately. After his first meeting, Ralph was so energized sharing everything with Abbe that she (only half-jokingly) said, “If you don’t curtail your enthusiasm, you’ll end up heading their board.” Lo and behold, Ralph was later installed as Mission’s board chair, and that same year Abbe joined the planning committee of the hospital’s annual Raise the Woof gala.​

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What does supporting accessible veterinary care mean to you?

We’ve each had dogs our entire lives and can’t imagine the anguish of having to surrender a pet because we couldn’t afford their veterinary care, or having to choose between paying rent and paying for their treatment. Yet, every day, that is a heart-wrenching decision that too many people have to make. We know the joy that our dogs bring to our lives every day. We’ve been fortunate and will never have to make that kind of choice. Hopefully, supporting the work of Mission, in whatever ways we can, will help bring about a day when no one has to.