While any dog with an owner and willingness to stand still for the camera can have his own Instagram and Facebook, it takes something special to build a professional platform. For a French Bulldog named Manny, it didn’t happen overnight or even purpose. Manny’s humans, Amber Chavez and Jon Huang, liked sharing pictures of their adorable dog with family and friends, so they thought it’d be fun to give him his own social media accounts. They started with a few followers, gained a few more, and then Manny the Frenchie became the world’s most-followed bulldog.
Chavez says Manny owes his internet fame to his quirky personality. It was the pictures of him sleeping in sinks that first caught people’s attention, and they really fell in love when they heard the impassioned cooing he does in place of barking. Manny the Frenchie has 1.8 million followers on Facebook, 1 million on Instagram, and several thousand more on Twitter. It might have happened by accident, but Manny and his human crew knew a lot could be done with such a large following. Intent on using his fame for good, the term “philanthro-pup” was born.
While sleeping in sinks and posing for the camera seem to be the main part of Manny’s job as a social media superstar, that’s not all he does. He’s called a philanthro-pup because he’s using his fame to support charitable causes and raise money for those in need. Chavez told iHeartdogs,
“Jon (Manny’s Dog Dad) has always been a huge dog lover and already had 2 rescue dogs when we met. We got Manny together and when his Instagram page started gaining some popularity, we did a co-branded t-shirt with proceeds benefiting dogs in need. After that, we continued our philanthropy efforts and Manny helped raise thousands for several causes. We figured the next step would be for us to form our own non-profit. We’re so lucky to be here and for Manny to have the fan base he does. With our foundation, we simply hope to help as many animals and people as we can.”
As Manny’s fame grew, there were more opportunities to do good. Instead of accepting every offer for sponsorship and partnering, Chavez and Huang decided from the beginning they wanted to send a specific message. They only work with organizations and companies who they believe align with their mission to make positive change. One of their more recent partnerships is with the pet food brand, Halo. Halo offers whole-meat pet food that is completely holistic and organic. They donate to shelter animals, and Manny works them to raise funds and awareness for rescue animals.
Manny has raised money for pets and people affected by recent natural disasters, shelter animals with the ASPCA, and athletes with the Special Olympics. His non-profit organization, Manny & Friends Foundation, is continuously raising money for important causes. The amount he’s helped raise has surpassed the $200,000 mark, and he doesn’t plan on slowing down. The six-year-old philanthro-pup is active on all his social media accounts and frequently makes appearances to raise awareness about his chosen causes.
Start following Manny the Frenchie on Facebook and Instagram for cute pictures of his handsome self and for more information about how he uses his fame to help those in need.
Featured Image: Facebook/Manny the Frenchie
Toledo, United States.
