by Jillian LaCross
Today’s digital age means a lot of us spend time on social media, and that definitely includes Labrador owners around the world. When we searched for popular hashtags related to this spectacular breed, we weren’t all that surprised: #labradorretriever 15.5 million times; #labsofinstagram 11.5 million times; #labradorsarethebest 27,7000 times. There are hashtags for each coat color as well. We reached out to a trio of popular social media pages that feature Labs across the spectrum to learn and share a bit of their story.
Magnus the Therapy Dog
Eight-year-old yellow Lab Magnus is a career-changed service dog for the blind who now brings smiles as a therapy dog. Owner and handler Brian Benson and Magnus visit terminally ill patients in hospitals and work with children who have severe learning disabilities. “Working together as a pet therapy team has been rewarding and impactful on our life in so many ways. We started volunteering as a way to give back, to pay it forward. It turned out to be so much more. Our hope was to bring smiles to people who were struggling. Children and adults struggling with terminal illnesses, elderly people in nursing homes, and children in community crisis centers. But what we gave them was more than a smile. We gave them a distraction from their pain. An outlet to speak to someone other than a doctor or nurse. A way to feel heard and feel human again, to benefit from the unconditional love that only a dog can give. Magnus gives love without any bias or expectation of getting anything in return. He does it because he wants to. He gets joy by bringing joy to others. And it’s a beautiful thing to see.” Social media is yet another way for the therapy team to spread joy and laughter (i.e., Magnus sleeping in spots around the house only a Lab would love) as well as offer insight into how Magnus behaves in public situations. Magnus has 1.1 million followers on Facebook and 1.3 million followers on Instagram. We love his earnest face and his obvious laid-back nature, a perfect combination for his important work.
Website: magnusthetherapydog.com
Facebook: /magnusthetherapydog
Instagram: @magnusthetherapydog
Nickel Labradors LLC
Who can resist a Labrador puppy? We bet if Superman had another weakness, this would be it. Nickel Labradors, which has a following of 98,000 on Instagram and 17,000 on Facebook, is a breeder specializing in English Labs based out of Leroy, Michigan. They regularly share videos and photos of their adorable, stout-legged pups playing, eating, getting baths, and sleeping in puppy piles. “We offer families more than just a beautiful puppy, it is our goal to give each family a meaningful, enjoyable experience from the time their puppy is born until they go to their forever, loving home,” writes Betsy Nickel. Each litter’s antics get shared on social, as well as the Nickels family sharing their days with a pack of full-grown English Labs doing what they do best: loving life!
Website: www.nickellabradors.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nickellabradors
Instagram: @nickel_labradors_mi
The Labrador Site
Part of the Dogsnet Family, The Labrador Site focuses on both fun and education. Founder Pippa Mattinson, a professional trainer, launched the website over a decade ago as well as the Facebook page that now has 375,000 followers. The mission “is to provide high quality, objective and well researched training and care information, for Labrador retriever parents around the world,” Mattinson writes on her website. The social media content shares a mix of articles that primarily focus on training, which link back to the website; however, there are also articles related to puppies, senior Labs, health, and behavior. What also stands out are the memes put together that are mostly meant to make you smile (and they do!). It is a useful resource, not to mention entertaining.
Website: www.thelabradorsite.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theLabradorSite
Instagram: @the_labrador_site
The world is full of therapy teams, breeders, and trainers whose lives have been transformed by Labs so much that they in turn transform the lives of others through their involvement with the breed. Spread the good news of the marvelous Lab!
