Katy’s a popular pooch at Oak Harbor Starbucks

By Maria Matson / Whidbey News Times

OAK HARBOR — She’s got a friendly, albeit hairy, face.

“Hi, I’m Katy,” is perhaps how she’d greet you if she could talk.

She’s been described as loyal, cuddly and occasionally stubborn.

Katy is a soft-coated Wheaten terrier, which is what the sign her owner places below her each morning says, along with a written “greeting” from Katy herself.

People who regularly visit the Starbucks adjacent to Safeway in Oak Harbor are familiar with Katy and her owner, Bill Cheaqui.

Cheaqui, who lives in Coupeville with his wife, is a regular at Starbucks. He enjoys coming in the mornings to grab hot coffee and chat with his friends.

Most dog owners would leave their windows rolled up if they were to leave their dog behind. But not Cheaqui — he and Katy welcome a friendly interaction. Each morning, he makes sure she’s tied up securely and hangs up her sign on the window.

“A lot of people stop to pet her. Some take pictures,” Cheaqui said.

Erin Hedrick, who manages the Starbucks, says Katy is “so cute” and that it’s a nice sight for workers on their way in to their jobs.

Katy’s late predecessor, Riley, was a regular “window dog” for more than 10 years at Starbucks and a local bakery. Riley was also a Wheaten terrier.

“Riley used to be called ‘the Starbucks dog,’ ” Cheaqui said.

Cheaqui has only had Katy for three weeks. He got her from an out-of-state breeder at the age of 13 weeks.

Cheaqui also describes her personality as courageous, because she’s not scared of vacuum cleaners like most dogs.

“And she barks at herself in the mirror all the time,” he said. She’s cuddly because she likes to sit on his lap, but stubborn because if she wants to go outside, “she wants you to chase her,” he said.

“I can’t promise never to bite you, cause I’m just a puppy, and I still like to chew,” Katy’s sign says. “But when I’m older I’ll chew less.”

The Whidbey News Times is a sibling paper of The Daily Herald.