The family Christmas card is still an annual holiday tradition even in today’s modern, digitized world. But God forbid you forget to include a four-legged family member in your holiday missive, like one Massachusetts brood who accidentally left out their beloved Pug.
The Case of the Missing Pug
Tina Haupert was responsible for designing her family’s Christmas card this year. Included on the card was a photo of Tina, her husband Mal, and their son, Quinn. Haupert also included a shot of Quinn with his pet lizard, Scales.
“This year, my son got a lizard so that was kind of the new family member,” Haupert told Today.
The mom mailed the cards out at the start of December. But no sooner did family and friends receive the holiday greeting than the clapback poured in.
Haupert realized she had forgotten to picture the family’s elderly Pug, Murphy, on the card.
“He’s 13, so he has been on the Christmas card every year,” Haupert says. ” I don’t even know how it happened, I was just focused on the lizard because he was the new family [member].”
Haupert’s phone blew up with concerned – and often comical – messages about Murphy being MIA.
“No Murphy?” one person asked.
“I can’t believe SCALES made the holiday card and NOT Murphy,” another marveled.
“Who made the cards?” asked someone else (who was clearly looking to place some blame).
Others seemed worried about the family pup’s health.
“What happened to Murphy?” one recipient inquired.
“Pug okay?” another wondered.
Holiday Card Re-Do
Haupert realized this situation required a re-do. She printed new cards featuring a close-up of Murphy’s face.
“I’M STILL HERE. Happy Holidays! Love, Murphy,” the new greeting read. On the back, a message explained that the dog’s parents forgot to include the pup on the first batch of cards, but “I assure you I am alive and well.”
Haupert mailed them the next day.
“We love Murphy, and our family and friends know how much we love him,” she told Today. “The text messages after people got Murphy’s card were so funny. People were rolling.”
The response to all the holiday card hullabaloo was so strong that Haupert posted a video about it on her @carrotsncake TikTok account…which naturally went viral.
@carrotsncake #pugsoftiktok #puglife ♬ original sound – Tina Haupert
All’s well that ends well. As Murphy signed off his holiday card message, “Pugs and kisses to you this holiday season!”
