by Carla Caruso

It’s not only humans that love your Open, Green, Public Park Lands; your four-legged friends do too.

We chatted to the owners of two dashing dachshunds about their passion for the city’s green spaces. The pooches have huge social media followings and the Park Lands regularly feature in their posts.

Mr Chuck

instagram.com/mr.chuck.dachshund; facebook.com/mr.chuck.dachshund

Hello, ‘fur’ parents. Please introduce yourselves and tell us how Mr Chuck came into your lives.

Mr Chuck’s humans are [University of Adelaide research fellow] Olga Anikeeva and [CityMag editor] Johnny von Einem. Mr Chuck came from a breeder in Victoria, and we went on a road trip to pick him up when he was 12 weeks old. He slept most of the way to Adelaide, only stopping for a couple of snacks and toilet breaks.

Mr Chuck is 11 years old, turning 12 in October this year.

*Mr Chuck’s ‘parents’, Olga Anikeeva and Johnny von Einem, at the Adelaide Zoo in Park 11.*

When did you launch his social media accounts and why?

Mr Chuck’s Instagram account was started in 2015, [largely] because Olga’s own social media accounts at that time were mostly just pictures of Mr Chuck, and a couple of friends suggested that it might be time for a separate account for all the Chuck content!

Mr Chuck has thousands of followers online and is a brand ambassador. How has being part of the ‘dogstagrammer’ community added to your lives?

It’s been a lot of fun, meeting great people and finding out about exciting new businesses through Mr Chuck’s social media accounts.

The dogstagrammer community is so friendly, positive, and supportive, which is not always the case for social media more broadly.

We’ve made some great friends along the way, and coming up with ideas for Mr Chuck’s posts provides a fun, creative outlet.

*Checking out the Art Gallery of SA. Photo: Mr Chuck.*

How long can a photo shoot with Mr Chuck take?

The photo shoots usually only take around 10 to 15 minutes, but the preparation ahead of a shoot can, in some cases, take hours or even days.

Many of Mr Chuck’s outfits are handmade to his exact sausage specifications, which is probably the aspect that takes the longest. We sometimes also need to find certain props or accessories, which can take a bit of time.

*Modelling a ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ costume in Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16).*

Favourite spots in the Park Lands you love to take Mr Chuck and why?

Pakapakanthi / Victoria Park [Park 16] is Mr Chuck’s favourite spot, particularly since the addition of the wetlands. It’s very close to home, so it’s super accessible, and there are so many things to do.

Chuck loves playing fetch (or, more accurately, ‘No Take, Only Throw’) on the open grassed areas, going for walks after dark along the lit paths, and exploring the wetlands and watching the ducks.

He also really enjoys walking along the river at Tulya Wardli / Bonython Park (Park 27 – he especially loved it when the RSPCA Million Paws Walk used to be held there) and trying to convince his humans that they should let him go swimming in the lake at Murlawirrapurka / Rymill Park [Park 14].

Are there any ways our Park Lands could be more dog-friendly?

Having more dedicated green bins for dog waste disposal would be great.

Rubi Star

instagram.com/rubi.star19

Hello, fur parent. Please introduce yourself and tell us how Rubi came into your life.

Rubi is my (Denise Towie’s) fur baby. I grew up with a dachshund and had always wanted another, but it took me 30 years to convince my husband to get a dog.

Rubi came into our lives on the January 2020 long weekend. Little were we to know that right about her 16-week mark, when she was allowed to go for walkies, that we would be in a pandemic and lockdown.

Rubi is two years old. She will turn three in November.

*Pretty in pink by the River Torrens / Karrawirra Parri. Photo: Rubi Star.*

When did you start her Instagram page and why?

I started Rubi’s Insta page just before we brought her home. I had a cat with a very successful Twitter page [before he crossed the rainbow bridge] and decided that Rubi needed a presence on Insta, so we could share pics of her growing up.

Rubi has thousands of followers online and is a brand ambassador. How has being part of the ‘dogstagrammer’ community added to your life?

Little did I realise how popular our little dog account would be. After gaining many followers in 2020, and with a viral video (a crab video at Goolwa Beach), I realised we could use our account to support small businesses and also show off our fabulous city and state.

While we are approached to represent brands, we only do this after purchasing and trying out the products so that we can truly say they are ‘pawsome’.

*‘Walkies’ along the River Torrens / Karrawirra Parri. Photo: Rubi Star.*

Being a dogstagrammer is fun and it has challenged us to get out and about to different places in Adelaide and our beautiful state.

The training for Rubi to pose for the camera has made her calmer and she loves it, knowing that she will be rewarded with treats.

We have connected with other accounts all over the world, and hopefully we bring a smile to people’s faces when they see our pics. We certainly get some smiles and have some lovely chats in the Park Lands when people see us, with some even recognising Rubi from her Insta page and stopping for a chat.

*Stopping to smell the flowers in Veale Gardens in Park 21. Photo: Rubi Star.*

How long can a photo shoot with your pet take?

We typically take candid pics, with some that Rubi poses for. So, it’s really only a few minutes per pic and then we move on. I will do 10 to 15 stops on our walks to take pics, but mostly we walk and Rubi sniffs and explores.

When we do pose with clothing, it only takes about five minutes per outfit and I take what we get rather than seeking perfection … Rubi is a dog and not a supermodel.

Favourite spots in the Park Lands you love to take Rubi, and why?

We love the River Torrens, between Hackney Road and the River Torrens footbridge. We need to be careful on the footbridge after the footy because Rubi does love to clean up food scraps.

There are so many different places nearby, like the [Adelaide] Oval, the memorials, Torrens Parade Ground, the Festival Centre, and Adelaide uni that we also stray into to explore. We have learnt a lot about Adelaide by just stepping off the paths.

We also love the South Park Lands, although there are often large off-leash dogs, so we only go during the early morning. We love these Park Lands for much the same reason … so many things to learn and the gardens in the South Park Lands change through the seasons.

And our other favourite spot [beyond the city] is the St Peters billabong, which is a beautiful spot all-year-round, with ducks and swans and natural bushland.

*Even soggy weather doesn’t deter Rubi from her Sunday walks along the River Torrens / Karrawirra Parri.*

Are there any ways our Park Lands could be more dog-friendly?

I think there are a couple of things. There are rubbish bins throughout the city Park Lands but no ‘poo’ bag dispensers attached to them, so we often find deposits that other dog owners have not collected.

And also, the Walkerville Council has implemented signed shared zones along their pathways to make it clear that the paths are shared with pedestrians, dogs, and cyclists.

I think it would be good to do the same in the city as speeding cyclists can be frightening for dogs and people too.