With the rise of social media and the ease with which you can snap and share photos, thousands of pets now have their own accounts on social media platform Instagram.

And for some, their quirky personalities and adorable looks have made them into furry superstars!

An insight into being ‘Insta famous’

Mayhew is lucky to have the support of some high profile Instagram animals. Two of these, Welsh Pembroke corgi Marcel (@lecorgi) and rescue dachshund Pops (@pop_sausage), also squeeze in volunteering for our dog therapy programme TheraPaws. Both have captured thousands of hearts: Marcel has over 116,000 followers and Pops has more than 24,000! We spoke to Marcel’s owner Aurélie and Pops’ owner Charlie to find out what’s involved.

Why did you decide to create an account for your dog?

Aurélie: Our social media adventure started the day we brought Marcel home. I started it for fun, but as it grew, I discovered a whole community and made new connections and friends.

Charlie: Pops was very poorly after spinal surgery and I was worried I didn’t have enough photos of her, so I vowed to take at least one photo per day and upload it to Instagram for a timeline of our adventures.

What do you enjoy most about posting?

A: I enjoy using my creativity to make people smile. Marcel is a little clown, and if someone pulls out a camera, he will put on a show. We receive a lot of support from the community and it’s amazing to see how social media can bring people together.

C: I’ve really enjoyed building a persona for Pops over the past few years. Her followers seem to love that she is a success story. She was rescued from a puppy farm four years ago, but now she is treated like a queen. Being part of the social media community, I’ve made friends for life and met my partner online; Pops has even helped me to get a new job!

Marcel with owner Aurélie

What do you think Marcel and Pops enjoy most?

A: Although he often seems to have a bit of a diva attitude, Marcel is blissfully unaware of the ‘celebrity’ status he has. We always put him first and insist he is allowed to just ‘be a dog’.

C: Pops is a very lucky lady and regularly receives gifts through the post. She waits for Mr Postman every morning and wags her little tail while I open any post that’s for her.

Pops and owner Charlie

We’ve found your support of TheraPaws invaluable – why do you do it?

A: I believe we should use our voice to influence others to do good. Volunteering for Mayhew with TheraPaws doesn’t involve money, just a bit of time and it makes such a difference.

C: I love that we’re in a position to work with charities such as Mayhew. Whenever I post about Pops’ hospital visits with TheraPaws so many people respond, and it’s always special when people mention that they have signed up to get involved in TheraPaws or that they have donated to Mayhew.