AT FIRST GLANCE, YOU MIGHT WONDER IF HE’S FOR REAL. This miniscule ball of fluff with the huge eyes, lolling tongue, and teddy bear ears looks more like a stuffed toy than a live dog. But although no one knows for sure what breed he is, Mr. Winkle is definitely a member of the canine family, despite the fact that his unique appearance has sent him rocketing to celebrity status.

Mr. Winkle’s rags to riches story began when he was first discovered by Los Angeles-based magazine photographer Lara Jo Regan. On her way home from an assignment one night about six years ago, Lara was driving through an industrial area when she caught sight of a tiny, bedraggled creature sitting forlornly by the side of the road. She stopped the car, at first unsure of what kind of animal she was looking at, but when she got out, he came right towards her, as though he’d been waiting for her to come along. “He was in terrible shape,” says Lara. “He looked like he was on his last legs.”

Despite his odd appearance and poor condition, Lara instantly bonded with the diminutive dog and took him home. Bringing him back to health was easier said than done, and involved countless vet visits. With time, love and patience, however, he gradually regained his health. “About two years ago, my husband and I started him on an organic diet,” says Lara. “He basically eats what we eat. We feed him organic beans, rice, tofu and vegetables such as broccoli and carrots, and we mix in a bit of health kibble to go with it. When we give him meat, it’s cooked fresh organic chicken. He just loves it and it’s amazing because he looks so young. His eyes are really bright and his fur his beautiful.”

Lara soon found that Mr. Winkle was no ordinary dog. Wherever she took him, people did double takes and remarked on his miniscule size and toy-like demeanor. Comments on his breed and identity ranged from the imaginative to the outlandish, and included everything from a “robotic squirrel” to a “furry smile” to a “reincarnation of the divinity.” His exceptionally long tongue draws a lot of remarks. “For small breeds, it’s actually not that rare for their tongues to be too big for their mouths,” explains Lara. “When I first got him, I thought it was really weird, but now I’m used to it and it’s become so much a part of his identity and character. His tongue does tend to dry out, though, so I make sure I have water with me wherever we go and give him a drink every hour or so.”

Given all the surprise, delight and laug4hter Mr. Winkle was bringing to other people, Lara realized she had to share him with the world. As a professional, award-winning photographer, whose work has appeared in Time, Newsweek, LIFE and Entertainment Weekly, Lara was ideally qualified to successfully capture Mr. Winkle’s essence on film, and the result was the “What is Mr. Winkle?” photo series. The photos are available to Mr. Winkle’s adoring public in several forms, including calendars, posters and cards, as well as three books – What is Mr. Winkle?, Winkle’s World, and A Winkle in Time, in which the photogenic little canine dons a range of hilarious costumes to celebrate famous historical dogs. Lara is currently working on another book, The Mr. Winkle Nude Series, in which the little dog appears sans costumes in a variety of settings. She also has a Mr. Winkle film in post production. “It’s an hour-long silent film,” explains Lara. “Mr. Winkle moves and walks like Charlie Chaplin, so in the film he plays a little hobo who walks along the railroad tracks and gets into all kinds of adventures.”

Not surprisingly, Mr. Winkle is especially popular with children, who are enchanted by his uncanny resemblance to pop culture characters such as Pokeman and Ewok. He has hit the headlines in a variety of newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle, has appeared on The Today Show, and recently accompanied Lara on a booksigning tour from Florida to Maryland. He even has his own website, where admirers can order photos and other merchandise, catch up on his news, and send him fan mail.

As for what kind of dog Mr. Winkle really is, even Lara hasn’t found an answer yet, although her favorite interpretation is that he is “the child of a cloud, on loan from heaven.” Considering the joy, laughter and happiness he spreads, it’s an apt description.

To find out more about Mr. Winkle, visit www.mrwinkle.com.