Meet Thor, the B.C.-based Boston terrier who has doggy paddled his way to international fame

Thor, a Boston terrier from Vernon, B.C., that's gained global notoriety for his love of swimming, is pictures taking a leap into his personal outdoor pool. (Photo: Lisa Mazurek)

A beloved Boston terrier from Vernon, B.C., has doggy paddled to fame ahead of his fourth birthday.

Tens of thousands of people have been following the journey of Thor on various social media channels, where his owner posts videos of his daily swims and resulting delight.

Last week, the pup—who squeals with joy each time he takes a dip—gained global notoriety after starring in a feature story by a major U.S. news network.

CNN’s Jeani Moos interviewed Thor’s owner, Lisa Mazurek, about the swim-obsessed canine, who has access to both an indoor and outdoor pool at home.

Speaking to CTV News Vancouver on Monday, Mazurek said she and her partner have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have gravitated towards Thor.

“I’ve had people message us and say ‘You’ve helped us through depression,’ or ‘I’m going through chemotherapy right now and watching his videos puts a smile on my face,'” Mazurek said.

“Even if we only had one person watching who he made smile, that would be enough,” she added.

Mazurek has two other dogs—a 13-year-old Chihuahua and a nine-year-old Shih Tzu—which is part of the reason Thor has two pools for himself.

“It helps him burn off a lot of energy—it’s a win-win for everybody,” Mazurek explained.

She welcomed Thor into her life shortly after one of her previous dogs—a Boston-terrier-pug-mix—died from cancer, just two years after the Mazureks adopted that pup from a friend who could no longer care for him.

“We really missed that clown-like, funny spirit that he had in our home and decided to go and get ourselves a Boston terrier,” she said.

Thor’s personality shines on social media.

He loves swimming so much that it can often be difficult to coax him out of the pools—as videos posted to social media show—and even bribes of bacon can’t distract him from his daily dips.

Last November, the Mazureks decided to convert their detached garage into a indoor puppy pool—complete with cedar walls and a heating system.

“The contractor thought we were a little bit nuts,” Mazurek said, laughing. “When you start thinking about it, like ‘Who would do something like this?” It seems crazy, but if you saw how much he really loves it, it makes sense,” she added.

This weekend, Thor will be competing in his first-ever “Hydro Dash” event with North America Diving Dogs in Calgary—a six hour drive away from home where the Mazurek’s children now live.

Last summer, Mazurek said she entered Thor into dock diving competitions based on the suggestion of his fans on social media.

“People saw him sailing into his outdoor pool and said, ‘You really need to get your dog into dock diving,” said Mazurek. “He earned himself a master’s title pretty much his first time out there.”

All this fame and attention hasn’t gotten to Thor’s head, according to Mazurek.

“The funny thing about Thor is it doesn’t matter what day it is—it’s going to be the very best day no matter what,” she said.

Next week, a very special day is coming up for Thor.

On June 6, the swimming star turns four years old.

To see Thor swim in real time, people can head to Instagram daily at 7 p.m.

Mazurek says between 100 to 1,400 followers tune in to watch him in his happy place.