Meet Gastown’s driving dog: Why ‘Mayo’ has his own Mercedes Benz

If you’ve visited Gastown recently, you may have seen him coasting the cobblestone streets in his mini Mercedes Benz.

A boss bulldog named Mayo has been garnering more than a few glances as he navigates the narrow alleys and sidewalks atop his Maybach G650 toy car.

“He loves the attention,” Mayo’s owner Cameron Lawton told Global News.

“He loves to be the king of any room.”

At 11 years old, Mayo is losing his sight and mobility – and was having a hard time keeping up with Lawton’s younger bulldog on daily walks.

So Lawton, a COVID-19 long hauler who contracted the virus early on in the global pandemic and credits his two precious pets with helping him get through the lingering effects, decided to give Mayo a boost with some automobile bling.

“It’s just to help him live his best life,” said Lawton.

Parked in a stall next to their neighbour’s real Mercedes Benz SUV, the electric ride allows Mayo to spend more time outside with his seven-year-old sidekick.

“Marshmallow is young and she’s just go, go, go, so it helps Mayo keep up,” said Lawton.

Lawton remotely controls his dog’s drive and has removed the tiny car’s steering wheel – but he says Mayo is known to put his paws to the pedal.

“He does love to try and drive himself too.”

The sight of the motorized mutt on his mean machine often puts pedestrians on pause as they scramble to snap a power pooch portrait.

“When he gets in his truck and starts driving down the street, rolling, it’s the best, he’s amazing,” one Gastown merchant told Global News.

Lawton, who is losing his own vehicle to the bank due to financial challenges resulting from a very tough year, said investing in his beloved bulldogs was worth it.

“It’s changed my life, I mean we’re the three Camigos,” Lawton told Global News.

“These dogs have provided me everything in that time. They’ve made my life better so I want to make their life better.”

Whether cruising CRAB Park or turning heads in town, Lawton and his canine crew are riding high during ‘ruff’ times.

“It just makes people smile, and I love hearing that it made someone’s day,” Lawton said.