PIC OF THE LITTER
Thanks to Instagram fame, these NYC pet influencers live in pooch palaces
THESE four-legged New Yorkers may drool uncontrollably, but they rule their digs thanks to Instagram stardom. That’s doubly true for Charlie, the 8-year-old bichon poodle, and his roommate, Sawyer, a 5-year-old goldendoodle.
They live in an apartment on the Upper East Side with their human, 32year-old Paige Chernick.
The two doodle rescues’ enormous internet presence — they share 136,000 followers on the Instagram account @puppynamedcharlie — has afforded them posh pooch perks.
They love to lounge on their La-ZBoy-brand dog couch and beds and admire their portraits, which hang on the walls around the apartment.
When they’re done playing in the snow, they might dry off in their very own namesake bathrobes and then head to their own, dedicated closet — filled with their many jackets, sweaters and accessories for a wardrobe change. Yes, they have more closet space than most human New Yorkers.
Charlie and Sawyer also enjoy coveted urban outdoor space, a private balcony, “which in the warmer months is a nice luxury for them to have because they can sit outside on the couch,” said Chernick.
There are an estimated 600,000 dogs living in New York City, but how many get to pick out the wall art?
New York’s most famous pooches, who rack in lucrative sponsorship deals for their owners, give new meaning to the word fur-niture. They
have taken over their humans’ apartments, owning the beds and couches, claiming the closets and dressers for their extensive canine costumes and accoutrement.
It’s an ethos summed up in a recent post of Charlie cuddling a Jonathan Adler throw pillow emblazoned with the words “BOSS LADY.” The caption: “Act like a lady, think like a boss!”
Sprout, a 5-year-old Brussels griffon, is also breaking the ‘Gram, with 177,000 fans subscribed to his blue checkmark account @brussels.sprout. He owns a luxury studio apartment in Chelsea, with his human, Sigrid Neilson, a 39-year-old lawyer.
Their home is “a homage to his love of napping,” said Neilson of Sprout’s salubrious shelter, which includes four beds and a crate, plush blankets and a teepee that he loves to slumber in. Of course, he has also claimed his human’s bed and couch as his own.
When he isn’t living it up in his doggie digs, Sprout’s favorite pastime is going for walks and visiting stores in the neighborhood, where he happily accepts treats from the friendly shopkeepers.
Maxine, a 5-year-old corgi, has also gone to doggy heaven. The furry Manhattan transplant now enjoys borough living in a duplex in Bed-Stuy outfitted with animalthemed art and décor.
Her humans, Bryan Reisberg, 32, and Alex Garyn, 31, who work as a creative director and director of planning for a wellness brand, respectively, run her Instagram account @madmax_fluffyroad and have amassed 750,000 followers.
Maxine spends most of her daylight hours downstairs (the family’s black-and-white mustachioed cat, Geoff, sleeps upstairs) and loves running around on the terrace just off the master bedroom. But the apartment’s office is where the magic is made. Maxine has a favorite dog bed there, as well as boxes of costumes and toys and Maxine-related merchandise that her loyal audience eagerly consume. Camera and video equipment are set up to capture every second of Maxine’s canine moxie. What’s more, the office is host to Maxine-inspired posters and shelves with children’s books that serve as research for a kid’s book about Maxine that’s in the works. “I’m pretty sure Maxine knows she’s famous,” Reisberg said. “I choose to believe that’s where her attitude comes from. She’s a diva.”
Naturally, it would be presumptuous to think that New York’s most precious pooches dare commit a pedestrian act like lifting a leg on a hydrant to relieve themselves.
Tinkerbelle, a 9-year-old Papatese — who lives in Midtown with her human, Sam Carrell, an actor and dancer, and her new little sister, Belle — has a private bathroom potty pad with her own space to do business.
Home life is especially cushy for the this four-legged fairy, with nothing to do but flaunt her “five pounds of fierce, fabulous fluff” with 469,000 Instagram followers via @tinkerbellethedog — registered trademark.
Tinkerbelle has a bed in every room, two sets of doggie stairs to make those climbs up onto the human bed easier and, perhaps most fabulously, a pink couch in the living room where she loves hanging out and posing for pictures. The glam dog also boasts her own armoire filled to the brim with clothes and accessories.
“It feels amazing to have a famous dog,” said Carrell. “There are daily positive adventures and surprises.”
Of note, Tinkerbelle was recently honored with an official proclamation by the State of New York for her accomplishments as a famous doggie actor. She is also a New York Emmy Awards nominee for her work in the PBS show “Dog People.” Her human will likely have to clear more shelf space for her growing accolades.
While it may be glitz and glamour for the famous doggie dwellers, their humans work tirelessly to ensure their canines and the homes they live in are seen in the right light.
“It’s a lot of fun having a famous dog,” said Reisberg. “But my wife and I don’t take it lightly. We feel a strong sense of responsibility to that audience. We know Maxine is a source of happiness and laughter for a lot of people, and we’re extremely proud to be a small part of other people’s lives in that way,”