Is This the World's Richest Dog?

Get ready to meet one of the world’s biggest social media stars. He has more than 10 million followers on Instagram and half a billion likes on TikTok. He hangs out with celebs like Ariana Grande. Starbucks and Target pay him to advertise their products. And for a big fee, he’ll post about his favorite meal: dog food.

This famous—and adorable—star answers to the name JiffPom.

Get ready to meet a big star. He has more than 10 million followers on Instagram. He has half a billion likes on TikTok. He hangs out with Ariana Grande. He’s been in ads for Starbucks and Target. And for a big fee, he’ll post about his favorite meal: dog food.

Who is this star? His name is JiffPom.

Get ready to meet one of the world’s biggest social media stars. He has more than 10 million followers on Instagram and half a billion likes on TikTok. He hangs out with celebs like Ariana Grande. Starbucks and Target pay him to advertise their products. And for a hefty fee, he’ll post about his favorite meal: dog food.

This famous—and adorable—star answers to the name JiffPom.

Welcome to the world of pet influencers. For years, people have been posting pictures and videos of their pets online. The best posts get shared widely. Some pets end up with thousands of followers. They’re called influencers because they can affect what their followers buy. And that’s worth a lot of money to some businesses.

The most popular pets on the internet get thousands of dollars to post about a product. JiffPom has appeared in a Starbucks shirt ordering coffee. He’s ridden in a Honda car. He sends candy to kids who unbox it online. Each time one of these ads appears, he makes more than $30,000. That’s about what the average American human makes in a year!

For years, people have been posting pictures and videos of their pets online. The best posts get shared widely. Some pets end up with thousands of followers. They’re called influencers because they can affect what their followers buy. To some businesses, that’s worth a lot of money.

Famous pets get paid to post about products. JiffPom has appeared in a Starbucks shirt ordering coffee. He’s ridden in a Honda car. He sends candy to kids who unbox it online. He’s paid well for this. Each time one of these ads appears, he makes more than $30,000. That’s about what the average American human makes in a year!

Welcome to the world of pet influencers. For years, people have been posting pictures and videos of their pets online. The best posts get shared widely, and some pets end up with thousands of followers. These pets are called influencers because they can affect what their followers buy. To some businesses, that power is extremely valuable.

The most popular pets on the internet get thousands of dollars to post about a product. JiffPom has appeared in a Starbucks shirt ordering coffee. He’s ridden in a Honda car. He sends candy to kids who unbox it online. Each time one of these ads appears, JiffPom makes more than $30,000—roughly the same amount the average American human makes in a year!

So are you ready to get out your camera and make Fido famous? It’s not as easy as it sounds. Pet owners work hard. They answer emails from fans. They come up with ideas for photos and videos. Then they have to make a tired pet look cute for the camera—day after day.

It also helps to spend months training your pet. JiffPom can walk on his rear legs. He can run on his front legs. He can even do handstands.

Still, it’s hard to know whether your pup has star power. JiffPom is adorable. But it’s not always the cutest pets that rise to the top. One of the first pets to go viral was a cat named Grumpy Cat. She had a health problem that froze her face in a frown. Today, Nala the cat has more than 4 million Instagram followers. Her claim to fame? Her slightly crossed eyes.

So, who knows, maybe there’s hope for Fido.

So are you ready to make Fido famous? Get out your camera! But know this: It takes work. Pet owners answer emails from fans. They come up with ideas for photos and videos. They make tired pets look cute for the camera.

Many owners train their pets too. JiffPom can walk on his rear legs. He can run on his front legs. He can do handstands.

How can you tell whether your pup has star power? JiffPom is cute. But it’s not always the cutest pets that become stars. One of the first pets to go viral was a cat named Grumpy Cat. She had a health problem that froze her face in a frown. Today, Nala the cat has more than 4 million Instagram followers. What’s she known for? Her slightly crossed eyes.

So who knows? Maybe there’s hope for Fido.

So are you ready to get out your camera and make Fido famous? It’s more challenging than it sounds. Pet owners work hard, answering emails from fans and coming up with ideas for photos and videos. They also have to make a tired pet look adorable for the camera—day after day.

In addition, many spend months training their pets. JiffPom can walk on his rear legs, run on his front legs, and even do handstands.

Still, it’s hard to know whether your pup has star power. JiffPom is adorable, but it’s not always the cutest pets that win celebrity status. One of the first pets to go viral was Grumpy Cat, a cat with a medical condition that froze her face in a frown. Today, Nala the cat has more than 4 million Instagram followers. She’s famous for her slightly crossed eyes.

So who knows—maybe there’s hope for Fido.•

Correction: A previous version of this article wrongly identified Grumpy Cat as a he. Grumpy Cat is actually a female. Special thanks to Jenna in Mrs. Shaffer’s class at Walnut Springs Middle School in Westerville, Ohio, for bringing this to our attention.