Humble Beginnings
If you have ever scrolled through social media and happened upon an adorable post of a dog with a cleverly captioned description and an exceedingly fantastic rating out of ten, odds are you might have stumbled across a social media account run by Matt Nelson.
Matt Nelson, a 25 year old dog enthusiast, started his humorous twitter account WeRateDogs in 2015 with the intent of making people smile. His simple, yet comedic captions and stellar ratings molded well with the comedy of Twitter seen in the mid-to-late 2010s.
When Nelson’s account and subsequent tweets started to grow in popularity, he expanded his platform by creating an Instagram account of the same name. In addition to WeRateDogs, he also started a new twitter account called Thoughts of Dogs, writing tweets from the perspective of the beloved furry pets, as well as launching a merch and calendar line.
Dogs posted on WeRateDogs typically receive a 12/10, 13/10, or even a 14/10 rating, but on October 14, 2017, Nelson awarded the first 15/10 rating. Over the years, more and more dogs coveted the high rating status for their heroics, perseverances, or societal influence.
As his account grew, Nelson would receive requests from followers imploring him to repost their GoFundMe pages to encourage people to donate to their pets’ medical bills. Recognizing the reach and influence he had, Nelson began to post these fundraisers, and was blown away by the response.
"I started WeRateDogs just to make a few people laugh, but as the community grew, it was very clear that so much more could be done with it" - Matt Nelson
Avid followers and fans of WeRateDogs would often reach the fundraising goals within the hour of the tweet being sent out, eager to help the community they’d built to provide for the animals they loved so dearly.
The creation of the 15/10 Foundation
After moving to Los Angeles to pursue his digital dog content full time, Nelson left his family dogs, Zoey and Sizzle, at home with his parents. In late 2020, in search of a friend, Nelson found Doug, a ten year old german shepherd rescue, while scrolling through social media; within the week, he had messaged the rescue that found Doug and adopted him.
As an older dog with visible arthritis and unsociability with other dogs, Doug was less likely to get adopted. Nelson, aware of this sad reality, went to work on a new project.
The following year, the 15/10 Foundation was launched. Aptly named after the highest rating a dog has received on WeRateDogs, the foundation aims to advocate for the adoption of dogs who are older or require more medical services that, without the help of organizations like 15/10, might be euthanized in shelters.
Whether it be monthly prescriptions, physical therapy, or surgery, 15/10 makes it their goal to sponsor every dog that comes through their foundation for life, and since launching in 2021, they have helped place twenty dogs into new, forever homes.
Currently, 15/10 is sponsoring Spud, who suffers from double hip dysplasia. While he is currently in a foster home, he is up for adoption and in need of a forever home.
If you are interested in adopting Spud, donating to the foundation, or want to read a story that will leave a smile on your face, feel free to visit the 15/10 Foundation’s website as well as WeRateDogs on Twitter!
Comentarios