A Wandsworth dog celebrity who featured on Dragon’s Den has been commemorated with a plaque at the pub she loved most.
Well-known for a television appearance and polite requests for treats at the bar, Lola, the treasured cavalier and muse of WagIt CEO Nadia Leguel, died in February after 14 years of companionship and regular attendance at The Beehive.
Following Lola’s passing, Leguel knew she wanted to commemorate her with a plaque somehow, and first attempted to have one installed on a bench before deciding on the pub.
Leguel said: “Then I thought, you know what, instead of a bench in her park, where is her second home?”
Leguel moved to England 20 years ago from Italy, where she found restaurants had a more relaxed policy in regards to canine guests.
Leguel said: “In Italy, you can bring an elephant into a restaurant – they don’t care, so long as you pay for a meal.”
Leguel adopted Lola in 2010 and straight away she took the dog everywhere with her, including on a four-month road trip around Europe in a rented van.
The first time she brought Lola to The Beehive was within a month of adopting her, when the pub was under different ownership.
At the time, Lola had to be seated on her lap because she was so little and she hadn’t yet had her vaccinations.
Leguel: “We went through three different managements of the pub.
“In a way, she’s owned it more than the actual owners.
“She’s completely a regular.”
Leguel worked in hospitality for over a decade, during which time one restauranteur told her she should start a website for dog owners looking for places their four-legged friends would be welcome.
When laid off during lockdown, Leguel and Lola became even more inseparable, so she did exactly that, despite the fact that many establishments were still closed to the public.
Thus, WagIt was born.
After only six months of operation, she pitched the company on BBC programme Dragon’s Den alongside Lola.
Leguel said: “It was terrifying, but it was cool, because she was there with me.
“I love that that’ll live on forever.”
Though the pair failed to secure an investment from any of the dragons, the website gained over 40,000 hits in one night.
Meanwhile, members of the public began to recognise Lola on the street.
At The Beehive, this led to special events and appearances, such as a day-long bake sale fundraiser for the Royal Veterinary College that, according to Leguel, ended in drunkenness for most involved.
She said: “We raised loads of money, but there was cake everywhere.”
Other baked goods-related endeavours included a collaboration with the successful brand Lola’s Cupcakes on the launch of their ‘pupcakes’ line, which took place at The Beehive in an event involving a large number of dogs in paper hats.
Last Sunday at The Beehive, Leguel and her friends raised a toast to Lola in a memorial ceremony.
Some brought pictures and some brought items of significance, while Leguel read poetry.
WagIt, the company the cavalier inspired, has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Pet Tech category this year at the Pet Industry Federation Awards.
The new plaque sits at the entrance of the bar, right at Lola’s height.
