14: TikTok FAMOUS @dexterdogouray Standing Dog!

Update: 2025-07-11

Description

In this episode of the TikTok FAMOUS™️ Podcast, host Meredyth Willits sits down with Kenty Pasek — the devoted dog mom behind Dexter, the world-famous “standup dog” whose two-legged strut has inspired millions around the globe. From viral parades to national TV, Dexter has become an unexpected symbol of resilience, reinvention, and the power to define your own “normal.”

But behind every upright step is a story of survival, community, and one family’s choice to see possibility instead of limitation. Together, Kenty and Meredyth dive into:

✅ The freak accident that changed Dexter’s life overnight
✅ How a Colorado mountain town rallied to save him — and how he chose his own way to heal
✅ Why vets, wheelchairs, and “normal” solutions didn’t stand a chance
✅ What Dexter teaches us about difference, adaptability, and radical joy
✅ How his viral fame has given hope to everyone from wounded veterans to kids who feel different

They also talk about the beauty of letting go, redefining your best life, and how a four-legged puppy became a standup superstar. If you’ve ever felt boxed in by what others think you should be, this episode is your permission slip to stand up — your way.

🎧 Tune in to hear how Dexter is:

✨ Turning “disability” into his superpower
✨ Proving that normal is overrated
✨ Bringing communities together, one parade at a time
✨ Inspiring kids and adults to take one extra step every single day

00:00 Introduction to the TikTok FAMOUS™️ Podcast

00:45 Meet Dexter: the standup dog who walks on two legs

02:00 The day it happened — a lost puppy, an accident, and a town that wouldn’t give up

04:30 Life-saving surgery and split-second decisions: amputation vs. prosthetic

06:00 The first upright walk: the moment Kenty caught Dexter balancing up the stairs

08:30 The wheelchairs, the pins, and why Dexter said “no thanks” to normal

11:00 How the vet gave up fixing him — and said, “Let him live his best life”

13:00 Keeping Dexter healthy: hips, spines, and how his body stays strong

15:00 Going viral: the tourist video that hit TikTok and changed Kenty’s world overnight

17:00 Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning America, and the power of one dog’s parade

19:30 The message behind the walk: “If Dexter can do it, so can I”

22:00 Different is beautiful — what Dexter teaches kids about standing out

24:30 Social media, storytelling, and the beauty of radical acceptance

27:00 Why the parade isn’t just for Dexter — it’s for all of us who feel different

29:30 Sit in the grass: parenting, possibility, and letting your kids define their own life

32:00 The kids’ book: how fans asked for it — and why it’s so much more than a dog story

35:00 Travel hacks, meet-and-greets, and keeping Dexter safe on the road

37:00 Lessons from the standup dog: resilience, reinvention, and choosing joy

40:00 Dexter’s big finale — meeting Meredyth “on air” with his signature grin and treats

42:00 Final thoughts: one extra step at a time, and the power to rise up anyway