ABOUT US
Founder
Elias Weiss Friedman
Founder
The Dogist is the photography, storytelling, and lifestyle brand created by New York Times bestselling author, photographer, and entrepreneur Elias Weiss Friedman. Over the past 12 years, Friedman has photographed more than 50,000 dogs and built a global community of more than 11 million dog lovers by celebrating the extraordinary bond between dogs and humans. Through photography, storytelling, and original content, The Dogist inspires millions to see dogs not simply as pets, but as family.
Friedman is the New York Times bestselling author of This Dog Will Change Your Life and creator and host of the Webby- and Shorty Award-nominated digital series DOGS with Elias Weiss Friedman, which has also earned multiple Telly Awards.
Inspired by the massive community that has grown around The Dogist, Friedman founded The Dogist Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of dogs in need and the people who need them most. The Fund supports organizations advancing dog rescue, canine health, and working dogs. Organizations are nominated directly by The Dogist community and personally selected by Friedman based on their impact, innovation, and dedication.
DR. ANGELA ROLLINS, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition)
Veterinary Advisor
Dr. Angela Rollins is a Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionist, Clinical Professor, and Small Animal Department Head at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, where she also earned her DVM and PhD and completed her nutrition residency.
She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nutrition) and has served as president of both the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition and the American College of Veterinary Nutrition. She has authored numerous publications in animal nutrition, with a primary research focus on companion animal obesity physiology, treatment, and prevention.
She formulated Vitality for The Dogist Company. And every day in her clinical practice, she sees how much people love their dogs. That part she takes personally.
Dog Advisors
Chief Wellness Officer
ELSA
Chief Wellness Officer 6 years old. Husky mix.
Elsa brings warmth, attentiveness, and an almost supernatural ability to read the room to her advisory role. She knows when it is time for a walk, when cuddles are required, and when someone needs to slow down and be present. She has strong opinions about all of these things and will let you know.
Loving, smart, and deeply committed to her work. She is always down for belly rubs, always ready for a walk in the woods, and reliably asleep on the most difficult couch to clean. She enriches every room she enters. The vacuum gets a workout. Hearts stay full.
Chief Tasting Officer
Hank
Chief Tasting Officer 11 years old. Miniature Pinscher / Cocker Spaniel.
Hank joined the advisory team based on one non-negotiable qualification: he will not eat anything that isn't worth eating. In a decade of mealtimes, he has rejected more food, treats, supplements than he has accepted, which makes his endorsement of the Vitality supplement either a minor miracle or a testament to the formula. Possibly both.
When he isn't consulting on product quality, Hank can be found supervising the neighborhood from a position of authority, or registering his displeasure with cats, large dogs, and plastic bags moving suspiciously in the wind. He is widely regarded as extraordinarily cute. He is aware of this and remains unmoved by it.
Chief Intelligence Officer
MAGGIE MAY
Chief Intelligence Officer 4 years old. Mixed breed.
Maggie May has spent four years gathering information, assessing threats, and determining which delivery drivers can be trusted. She cannot be fooled. She cannot be rushed. And she will not cuddle with you, but she will absolutely know where you are at all times.
Mischievous by nature. Protective by instinct. Deeply suspicious of strange dogs in the yard. Her professional opinion: other dogs should not be trusted until proven worthy. She holds this view firmly and has yet to be persuaded otherwise.
Director of Team Morale
MINNIE PEARL
Director of Team Morale 2 years old. Mixed breed.
Minnie Pearl's primary qualification for this role is that her joy is genuinely contagious. She arrives at every meeting exuberant, exits every situation having licked at least one person, and has been known to chew her water rather than drink it. Nobody understands it. Everyone loves her for it.
Bizarre. Unpredictable. Exuberant. Her lip frequently gets caught on her teeth, giving her a permanent grin that perfectly captures her general outlook on life. Morale has not dipped once since she joined.
Director of Zoomies
TIMMY (TIMOTHEÉ)
Director of Zoomies 1 year old. Italian Greyhound.
Timmy brings unmatched speed, a permanent goofy grin, and an absolutely unpredictable energy to his advisory role. He will lounge motionless in a sunbeam for hours, then erupt into full zoomies at 11pm for reasons nobody has been able to determine. The German Shepherds at the dog park cannot catch him. Nobody can.
Cuddly, happy, and deeply committed to the belief that dogs belong in bed, preferably under the covers. His teeth are always out. His lips just do that. The doorman calls him Little Skinny Legs. He takes it as a compliment.
Co-Chief People Officer
PENNY & DOLLY
Co-Chief People Officers. Penny, 4 years old. Dolly, 7 months. Mini Bernedoodles.
Penny runs the department with warmth, institutional knowledge, and a signature move that involves collecting one of your shoes and holding it until you return. Dolly brings the chaos, the kisses, and a supermodel build she has absolutely no idea what to do with yet. Together they have established the firm belief that humans should not go anywhere without their dogs.
Penny loves everyone she has ever met. Dolly loves everyone she hasn't met yet. The office has never felt more loved.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
THIS DOG WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
An Instant New York Times Bestseller from our founder Elias Weiss Friedman, celebrating the extraordinary ways dogs make our lives happier, healthier, and more connected.