Set up in 2016, Pups and Handlers of Ireland (PaHI) is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The group was established to offer pup and pet players of all identities a space to connect with like-minded folk. They run an online chat group, as well as regular social events, and annually crown Puppy Ireland during Dublin Leather Weekend.

On Saturday, June 6, they will host a range of fabulous events to mark the milestone, including the Puppies Choice Awards in PantiBar, and a Puppy takeover of Out in Kink (OinK) in DV8. Ahead of the occasion, GCN spoke with the PaHI team to find out more about how the organisation has evolved over the last decade.

“PaHI was started from demand for a pup-focused space for Irish kinksters. Where there was a set-up in place already for events focused on leather and mixed fetish, there was no specific space for pups to connect,” Pup Rolo, Secretary of PaHI, shared.

“Pup Rory and Pup Hero, the founding members, decided to create an online group to connect pups and handlers across Ireland in 2016 on a website called Puppy Pride. This quickly moved to an app called Telegram, and numbers grew rapidly. It was not long before we saw a demand for in-person live events, and we began to organise regular socials for the pups.

“Here we are 10 years later, with our own Puppy Ireland title election coming into its fifth year as a staple of Dublin Leather Weekend, regular monthly socials hosted by Rua, Puppy Ireland 2026, that rotate between Cork and Dublin, and pups showing up as the largest kink contingent marching in Dublin Pride each year!”

Bringing it back to basics, Pup Rolo defined what a pup and a handler are. 

“It can look very different depending on how each person likes to engage with that identity,” he noted. “But for a broad sweeping description, you could define a pup as somebody who engages in role play as a puppy and a handler as somebody who enjoys looking after a pup who is in their role-playing headspace. 

“Both pups and handlers can involve a sexual element to their play, as well as incorporating other kink and fetish interests into it. However, sex is not strictly part of the definition for all people, and many do not engage with this role play in a sexual way.”

Pup Rolo also explained that these roles are not inherently submissive or dominant. Some pups consider themselves an ‘Alpha’ (generally dominant or the leader of a pack dynamic), ‘Beta’ (sometimes submissive leaning) or ‘Omega’ (submissive).

“It can vary a lot, and you will more often than not find pups identifying with quite a lot of versatility while they enjoy and explore this roleplay and their kinks,” Pup Rolo added.

No matter your interests, it’s always empowering to find and build community among like-minded individuals. As Pup Rolo says, “For us, the most important reason to exist is for visibility, to be the space that can be found for that curious new kinkster who doesn’t know where to look. We are out there, proudly marching in Prides across the country from Dublin to Cork and Limerick to Belfast, taking over your local bars for one night a month, and standing our title holder centre stage alongside Mr Dublin Leather during Ireland’s largest fetish and kink weekend.

“We intend to be a safe space for curious pups and handlers to easily find us, join our chat group first, and when they feel comfortable and ready, be there for them as they dip their toes into the live in-person events. As well as welcoming the newcomers, we also believe that kinksters deserve our place in the queer space as much as any other group, and we are proud to be front and centre in achieving that!”

 

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For people who may be interested in joining the group, Pup Rolo says, “The most important statement we can make is: ‘Bark Bark, Woof Woof!’. Or, translated to human speak: Just do it. Fetish and kink are not as scary as a Hollywood film might lead you to believe. The Irish scene is focused on consent and community, and you will find yourself both welcomed and safe with us.

“Start small, join the online chat, find some friends there and get comfortable, and then get your tail wagging along to one of Rua’s socials in Dublin or Cork!”

Reflecting on the group’s evolution over the last decade, Pup Rolo highlighted the importance of collaborating with other local fetish groups like OinK and Leathermen of Ireland. “Both of these groups have supported us greatly, and likewise we have supported them to all achieve mutual success,” he said, adding that they have adopted the mantra “Stronger Together… to ensure a bright future for Irish kink”.

“We have grown strong from our humble four founding members in 2016 to almost 300 members in our online Telegram group now,” Pup Rolo continued.

Regarding their upcoming birthday celebrations, he said, “Pups and Handlers of Ireland have never been shy of the fact that Pup Play appears silly, and our 10th birthday will be no different! Expect laughter and shenanigans at the Puppies Choice Awards, our mock awards show hosted in Pantibar from 2pm to 6pm on Saturday, June 6. We are running this jest awards night to celebrate our community members, highlight some sweet achievements, some silly memories, and to truly celebrate and thank our members for their support over the last decade.”

One of the big achievements for their members was the first Puppy Ireland title holder in 2023, Astra, going on to win the European Puppy title at Darklands in Antwerp.

After the Puppies Choice Awards, “OinK are then collaborating with us from 9pm in DV8 to host a pup-themed Pig Pen night where our pups and handlers will mix in with the rest of the kink community for one big celebration.”

 

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It is set to be a fantastic occasion, and an apt way to mark the milestone 10th anniversary. Happy Birthday to Pups and Handlers of Ireland! To find out more about the group, click here.