Finding Furever Friends

Puppers, doggos, and woofers, oh my! The ‘OG Auburn Dogspotting’ GroupMe is taking the campus by storm. The count on the chat is currently 1,630 people. This has become a community of dog lovers that come together to send pictures of their fur babies, ask for advice, and help other dog owners. Many students cannot bring their own dog to college, so they live through this GroupMe. They cling to the pictures sent, because they do not have their own dog to greet them when they get home after a long day.

People do not only join this GroupMe for the uplifting pictures of dogs. They also help local animals find forever homes. When asking Ivy Graves if this GroupMe has aided her in finding help for dogs, she replied with, “100% yes. If we need to find a foster we always put it in the group chat and within an hour someone in the chat has found someone who is gracious enough to foster.” Members always post a photo when they see a dog in need. Through this GroupMe members have become fosters, rescued dogs off the side of the road, and adopted their best friend.

Friendships also form between these dog lovers. Graves also claims she met one of her best friends through the GroupMe, “Well there were a bunch of people in the GroupMe who were trying to rescue a couple animals in the shelter. And we were able to rescue those babies, but after that we stayed in touch through the rescue group and eventually started hanging out as friends.”

Another member of the GroupMe, Gabe Atkinson, had a very successful doggy date that was conducted with a fellow member. Through this not only him, but his dog, Zydeco, made a new friend. “We met outside one of the dorms, I can’t remember which one, but it was near the arboretum and let the dogs play. We then walked around the arboretum letting our dogs sniff and play. It was 45 minutes to an hour, and it was just chill and fun.”

When asking the creator of ‘OG Auburn Dogspotting,’ Reign Parker, why she started the GroupMe, she replied with, “I honestly started it my sophomore year with like ten of my friends, because we wanted a place to send cute pictures of dogs.” She never knew it would grow into what it is now, a refuge for dog lovers. They can brag by sending pictures of their fur babies, help rescue dogs in need, and make forever friends.