PW: Welcome, pup! It's no secret by now that I'm a native Jersey Bear from your neck of the woods. I'm also a lifelong RPG creator, game master, author, and career theatre director. Boy, do we have stuff to talk about! Let's go...

FERNO: HI! I’m Ferno (he/they/it), a 26-year-old uncollared, stray, whatever you wanna call it, orange pup!

PW: Where did you grow up? Do you have a big family?

FERNO: I grew up in northern New Jersey, where I currently live after spending seven years in Boston following college. I’m the fourth of five kids, so I grew up in a household of seven, plus a bio dog. I love having a big family and really can’t imagine life without all my siblings.

PW: How did you get your pup name?

FERNO: It depends on whether you want a brief explanation or a more detailed, technical one. In short, Ferno was the name of a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) character I was playing who died too soon. This was also around the time I got my first hood. The longer, nerdier version? I played a fire genasi, who are typically named after elemental fire, hence Ferno, as in inferno. The name suited an orange pup, but a friend thought it was a stupid name. For a couple of years, I was too embarrassed to use Ferno as my name and instead just lived without a pup name. After chatting with others for a couple of years, along with support from one person in particular and my partner, I decided to officially declare Ferno as my pup name!

PW: How did you get into in pup-play?

FERNO: I began as many modern pups do: noticing pups online, appreciating their visuals, and then adopting the aesthetic. Although I was drawn to hoods and the general concept of pup-ness, acquiring my first hood also provided me with a sense of anonymity online, similar to the actual historical significance of the pup hood. I discovered the community later in my journey, first online during 2020 and then eventually in person. I fell in love with the chosen community that pups create.

PW: Are you out of the closet? How about Pup Ferno?

FERNO: Yes! I came out in high school as the first out queer male in my grade and helped form the gay-straight alliance. Being queer and being openly, visibly, and outwardly queer is important to me. As a community, we still have a long way to go, both externally and internally, and I am willing to be on the front lines. I don’t hide that I’m a pup either, but it doesn’t come up as often. I currently live with my family, making it difficult to hide my work on gear or attend event weekends. Therefore, it's easier to be open about it. I'm fortunate that my mom is open and genuinely curious about what I do, even if she can be a bit nosy.

PW: Are you single or attached?

FERNO: I am in a relationship with someone who is not part of the community. When we first started talking, he discovered my Recon profile, which only had pictures of my hood and no pictures of my face. He said he was able to tell it was me because of how expressive my eyes were. That initiated a discussion about our mutual kinks and when we truly began to advance as a couple.

PW: Are you the someday Daddy type? Husband, kids, lots of family?

FERNO: Daddy, maybe. Dad, I'm not so sure. Community is an important aspect of living, and I’m still deciding if having kids fits into my community. As for daddy shenanigans, I often see myself as a kink educator, playing with folks in their first scene with a specific kink (especially as a rope top.) If that progresses into daddyism, so be it. For now, I’ll enjoy my youth.

PW: What's the wildest thing you've ever done as a pup?

FERNO: I’m honestly a pretty tame puppy! I’m gearing up to go to my first sex party in a couple of weeks with just a touch of apprehension. I’m not sure if it’s my scene. That being said, I have had some casual oral fun on the dance floor once or twice, or sometimes monthly, when I used to live in Boston.

PW: Are you an indoors or outdoors kind of pup?

FERNO: Outdoors in theory, indoors in action. I’m open about my Boy Scout history, which included monthly camping. I miss camping and love hiking, but it wasn't practical when I lived in the city. Though now that I’m living in the suburbs again, I’m hoping to get back out there. During the summer, you can find me napping in my hammock at any hour of the day.

PW: Where do you live? Is that a good place for pup life? LGBTQ+ friendly?

FERNO: Until recently, I lived in Boston, MA. It has a decent pup scene, which may be on the smaller side (though it is relatively large for the city), but it’s close enough that it’s easy to know everyone in the scene. I recently moved back to suburban northern New Jersey, and I'm still getting settled in. The sense of community isn't as strong as it was in the city (but it does exist!), so I'm trying to figure out what the sprawling suburban pup scene looks like compared to the tighter-knit city environment.

PW: Where will your life take you by 2030?

FERNO: God, that’s the question. It’s actually the question I moved back home to answer. I’m a bartender by trade, and I love it. However, I also have two bachelor's degrees, in Theatre and Psychology, which require significant time and dedication if I want to progress in either of those fields. At the moment, I am contemplating whether I want to return to school to become a therapist. For now, I am enjoying my crafting, playing D&D, and bartending. I believe my career path may eventually lead me down one of those roads in the future. I'm uncertain about my future, and that uncertainty is beautiful.

PW: What do you like to do when not in your headspace?

FERNO: I’m a nerdy and crafty puppy! I play a lot of D&D and Nintendo titles. I can be found crocheting or sewing and making gear. I’ve made flogs, whips, and recently a full leather ensemble. I’ve also recently become a bit of a gym rat. I need to focus on my workouts after moving and have spent a couple of three-hour days at the gym.

PW: What do you like about playing Dungeons & Dragons?

FERNO: D&D is one of the few areas where I consider myself an expert and I am currently participating in four campaigns. I think that D&D, pup play, and acting share a common appeal: escapism and headspace. For a brief time, real-life human problems melt away and I can focus on larger-than-life characters and situations. Fantasy is truly limitless, and I enjoy exercising my imagination and challenging others in ways that would never be necessary outside of a campaign. If you like roleplay, I highly suggest checking TTRPGs out.

PW: That's nerd-speak for tabletop roleplaying games. (grin)

PW: In a D&D setting, what kind of character would Pup Ferno be? What level?

FERNO: This is such a good question. I have been thinking about what character Dan might be, probably a mix of Warlock, Bard, and Artificer. I believe Ferno would fit best as a low-level ranger/cleric multiclass. Both of these classes focus on duty and support. This resonates with my experience in the pet community, where I aim to assist both individuals and the community as a whole, while also embarking on my own personal developmental journey.

PW: Finish this sentence: “I really love it when…”

FERNO: I helped foster the happiness of those around me. Constellations are bright in the winter sky. Snow falls in big, lazy flakes. I am called a "good boy" or get my head scratched by someone I love. Joy feels like it can last forever.

PW: You say that you’re into crafting. What do you make?

FERNO: I mostly crochet, but I also knit, weave, sew, and get involved in any fiber art. I love learning new skills, so I have so many half-finished crafting kits. Embroidery, punch needling, yarn spinning, wool felting. At the moment, I begin many projects but finish very few. I’m currently working on a temperature blanket, which is almost a rite of passage for crocheters. You crochet one row of a blanket each day, using a color that corresponds to the temperature of that day. Recently, I created a leather outfit inspired by the Boy Scout uniform. I enjoyed it so much that I invested in more serious leather tools and may have new projects to display soon.

”I think my best advice is from my time studying theatre. Go before you’re ready. You can’t correct the moment until you’re in the moment, so go for it. Prep how you can, take that wrong step, and go from there. I live my life this way. It’s why I competed for Northeast Pet this year. I knew I was green and it might not be my time to win, but taking the chance when I did has led to great growth and connections. But going before I was the perfect candidate resulted in outcomes I could never have expected if I just stayed waiting in the wings. So go! Take your shot. Fuck up that first move, accept it, and move on.”

Contact Ferno:

Photos by Pup Sterling, Ruckus, and Pup Ferno