I recently had the pleasure of talking to Elias Weiss Friedman, founder of The Dogist. The Dogist is a photo-based documentary based in New York City and has traveled all over the world fulfilling its mission to tell the stories of dogs everywhere.
“I started taking portraits of dogs and realized this was a thing to itself...I had that entrepreneurial epiphany—no one’s really doing this and this could be a great thing,” Friedman said. “I love to do it.”
Elias approaches owners walking in the city and photographs their dogs. He posts the pictures on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter with captions including each dog’s breed, name, age, city, and an anecdote about the them. That means his job requires him to travel the world to meet dogs every day and take stunning photos to share—my dream lifestyle.
"It doesn’t feel like work,” he said. “I love this feeling that I can create something of my own.”
The Dogists' posts on my newsfeeds absolutely make my day. Elias' photos are beautiful and captivating. He has an ability to entertain and move viewers. As a dog lover, I admire his efforts to help shelter dogs get the extra attention they need. He does this with his "Give a Dog a Bone" program. People can purchase a bone that Elias will personally deliver to a dog in a shelter. He posts a photo of the dog to The Dogist with the idea that the image will catch the attention of his followers and increase chances of adoption.
"The overall mission of the project is to tell the story of dogs,” he said. “‘Give a Dog a Bone’ program allows people to sponsor adoptable dogs. . .a portion goes back to the shelter. Every dog that I’ve posted has been adopted.”
Elias' book, The Dogist: Photographic Encounters with 1,000 Dogs, is available to order online. The book is a collection of The Dogist’s portraits with sections including "Puppies, Cones of Shame, Working Dogs, and Dogs in Fancy Outfits." Elias is visiting cities all across the country on his book tour—on October 24th, he'll be in Radnor, PA about 20 minutes away from Saint Joe's campus!
The project can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The Dogist’s website informs readers about how to donate to the project and why it’s important.
If you're a dog lover, you want to follow The Dogist. Trust me.
Image credit: The Dogist
