A miniature dachshund from Angus has become an online “dogfluencer” after racking up more than 18,000 followers on Instagram.
Chester, from Forfar, had the page set up in his honour as a bit of fun by owner Angie Munro during Covid-19 lockdowns.
The page has grown so much that the dog is now an ambassador for various brands, including Visit Angus.
Angie, 37, told The Courier: “I started up an Instagram for him, mainly so we could keep all the memories of him together and didn’t just constantly post about him on our personal pages.
“We just thought it was a really cute thing to do.
“Not long after getting him, Covid happened – so we had loads of time at home and we just had so much fun with Chester and his social media.
“We had tea ‘pawties’ and posted about our daily walks, and dressed him up for things like taco Tuesdays, and when they released Tiger King on Netflix.
“It was just what we needed to cheer us up. His followers just grew and it was then we started to think: wait a minute, pet social media is actually crazy.”
Angie says Chester has attracted attention from all over the world, with followers from Australia, Brazil and the US.
‘People loved following our travels’
She added: “When things began easing after the lockdown and we could start travelling again is when it all exploded.
“People loved following our travels; seeing Chester at some beautiful places in Scotland in his wee tartan accessories was a big hit on his Instagram.
“We absolutely love travelling in Scotland, so the fact that other people were loving this side to our account was a huge blessing to us.
“We have recently become the dog-friendly ambassadors for Visit Angus and the Angus Tour. It’s amazing that we can do stuff locally and potentially bring people to our area.
“He’s know as a ‘dogfluencer’ or ‘pupfluencer’, but to me he’ll always just be our little baby Chester.”
The dog’s followers have been lapping up his every move, with one describing his looks as “priceless” and another branding him a “gorgeous pooch”.
A Visit Angus spokesperson said: “Visit Angus is the destination campaign run by Angus Council.
“The Angus Tour was launched in November 2021 to encourage people to visit this area and to experience the breadth of things to see and do.
“Visit Angus works closely with local ambassadors who share their own adventures of Angus on their social channels.
“@Chester_The_Sausage is one of eight local ambassadors, and as a local influencer who knows Angus well, is able to share their passion for promoting Angus to their followers and Visit Angus embraces this enthusiasm to reach thousands of potential visitors.”
