National Dog Day: celebrity pet Instagram accounts to follow - from Paris Hilton’s ‘fur kids’ to Mark Wahlberg’s Champ

Many people rely on dogs to provide protection, bring comfort and help them with their disabilities. Pet lovers across the world have taken to social media to share snaps of their canines to mark National Dog Day.

Founded in 2004, National Dog Day is celebrated annually on 26th August to bring attention to the plights canines of all breeds experience around the world.

Animal Rescue Advocate Colleen Paige, who set up the celebration, hopes the significant date will also encourage people to adopt dogs.

"Millions of dogs are killed each year because they're simply unwanted,” Colleen said.

“They’re unwanted because no one realized how to properly care for the demands of the breed. They’re unwanted because they were bought as a Christmas gift for a child that didn’t keep their promises about caring for the dog...unwanted because they shed too much...unwanted because they bark too much. UNWANTED...simply because someone changed their mind. All a dog wants to do is love you and be loved by you.”

Celebrities including Lady Gaga, Mark Wahlberg and Kylie Jenner have created Instagram accounts dedicated to their dogs, while James Middleton has championed the importance of volunteering at shelters.

The 35-year-old, who has six dogs, has often spoken about how his canines have boosted his mental health.

“You can tell a dog your darkest thoughts and trust them because they won’t tell anyone else. To put your emotions into words to your dog is a release,” James told Hello.

Here, we round up a selection of Instagram accounts celebrities have created for their beloved canine.

Lady Gaga - Miss Asia

Created in March 2015, Lady Gaga keeps us updated with her dog Miss Asia under the handle @missasiaxoxo.

The singer’s dog is used to being in front of the camera, having previously modelled for Coach.

The Instagram account hasn’t been updated recently but has over 220,000 followers, who love the cute snaps of the canine celebrating Christmas and joining Lady Gaga at rehearsals.

Amanda Seyfried - Finn Seyfried

Amanda created her account in November 2015 for her rescue dog Finn. She shares her journeys with Finn, who she calls a “good hang”.

Almost 75,000 people follow the Instagram account, with the most recent post showing Amanda speaking about her canine’s eyebrows in a clip originally posted on TikTok.

Carrie Fisher - Gary Fisher

Gary was introduced to the world of Instagram on 9th December 2015.

The account has stayed updated since Carrie Fisher’s passing, with heartwarming captions penned as if they were written by Gary.

A snap of Carrie’s star in Hollywood was captioned: “I miss her soooo much, she was the BEST mOm eVeR!! I ❤️u and Ms. Debbie too. 🐶😞😪 #garyloveshismom#garyloveshisfans#garyfisher#garyissad”

Jennifer Lopez - Tyson

In June 2020, Jennifer bought her son, Max, a puppy and wanted to celebrate by launching an Instagram page for him. Max took to Instagram to ask for help in naming his new friend as he was having problems coming up with one.

He shared his decision days later and decided to name him Tyson.

Over 24,000 people follow the Instagram account @tysonpupofficial.

Mark Wahlberg - Champ

Mark created an Instagram account for his dog Champ during December 2019. He has been updating us since with pictures of Champ’s adventures.

An adorable recent snap shows Mark’s canines splashing in water, while other photos show them relaxing around the actor’s house.

Kylie Jenner - Norman and Bambi Jenner

Kylie created an account for her dogs on 12 February 2015. She loves her dogs so much that she has previously skipped plans for them. In 2016, she missed the American Music Awards when her dogs Norman and Bambi Jenner were having puppies.

The account hasn’t been updated since 2017, but still boasts over 344,000 followers and has snaps of the reality star’s very pampered pooches cuddling family and friends.

Katy Perry - Nugget

Created in August 2019, Katy created her Instagram account ahead of her music video for ‘Small Talk’ that featured her canine friend. She was loved and eventually was featured on the album cover for ‘SMILE’ in 2020.

Paris Hilton - Tinkerbell

Paris’ late dog Tinkerbell became one of the most recognizable canine faces in Hollywood.

Paris went on to own many other furry friend,s that she would dedicate an Instagram account to while calling them her ‘fur kids’. It inspired her to create a TikTok for them too.

She started posting on the account in July 2020 and has been active on it since, with a recent snap showing her hold one of her dogs for a collaboration with Tzuri.

The Beckham Family - Olive Beckham

Owned by the family of former footballer David Beckham, Olive Beckham began her journey on Instagram on 29th September 2015. She was only posted three times and featured in selfies with David and Brooklyn Beckham.

Unfortunately, the account hasn’t been updated since 22nd January 2016.