Fun

How One Stylish Pup Wrangles the Internet Dog Community for Good

Written by: Emily Wang

May 21, 2014

 Meet Riley, an adorable and stylish one-year-old Parson Russell terrier with a flair for design and fashion. Not only can he pull off any bow tie or jacket, but he also acts as a spokesdoggy for Instagram campaigns he runs with his human, Chaity. This doggy-human duo takes photo sharing and social media to the next level by raising awareness for important issues and doing good for their community.

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Their story begins a year after Chaity was diagnosed with an illness that has no known cure. Chaity braved through aggressive treatment to reduce her symptoms. The brutal recovery instilled in Chaity a mission to educate others on the importance of health and overall well-being of both humans and their dogs. “It is why I educate my followers on the importance of healthy eating,” Chaity said. “It can be a wonderful substitute to drugs and prevent illnesses. Riley also helps me stay active which is essential to my recovery.”

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Riley’s Instagram account began as a hobby for Chaity. “It was a means to share my love of Riley,” she explained. But, the account soon started to reveal another purpose. “As we gained popularity, we were told our account was an inspiration. We sought to do some good with it.”

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Chaity and Riley have since brought several campaigns to life. The largest one is the #ourpearlywhites campaign for pet dental health. In just a few short months and with over 3,500 tagged Instagram photos, Chaity and Riley have impacted the community of pet lovers in social media.

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“We encourage our fellow Instagram users to participate in our campaigns through fun and engaging photo projects by setting an example as we discuss these important topics.”

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Another recent campaign closed out the month of April with flying colors – the color orange, to be exact. April was Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. Through their #iorangeforanimals campaign, Chaity posted orange-themed photos and encouraged her followers to do the same.  Through this simple action, a community of animal lovers raised awareness for preventing animal abuse.

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Chaity and Riley’s ultimate goals are to educate their followers and fellow Instagram users about healthy living and ways to help animals in need. To carry out these goals, Chaity draws on inspiration from her design and creative background, including her past experience as an art director. “I hope to capture the topics discussed through my photos by showing my creative side,” she says. Through her photos, this creative side shines.

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Chaity’s photos have a clean, creative coherence that contributes to the inspirational nature of her work. She recently published a photo book highlighting the #ourpearlywhites campaign filled with photos of adorable Instagram pups showing off their sparkling white teeth.

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“We encourage our followers to participate in our most popular project, the #ourpearlywhites campaign by capturing your pet flashing its teeth. Post it, tag it and run the chance of being featured or quite possibly be published in our next book.”

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Check out Chaity and Riley’s beautifully inspirational work on their website, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also help raise money for Chaity’s treatment by purchasing her handmade accessories on ichaity.com. Part of the proceeds of certain products goes to the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

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Written by: Emily Wang

May 21, 2014

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A themed collection of BARK-designed toys, treats, and chews.