Most days, social media can feel like too much. One moment, there’s drama. A few scrolls later—bots, misinformation, and people arguing about everything. Finding a bit of light in all that noise isn’t always easy.
That’s why pages like We Rate Dogs feel like a breath of fresh air. There’s something genuinely heartwarming about a puppy chasing its tail or a senior dog proudly grabbing a treat. Probably nothing beats that.
And the page agrees, their ratings for these good boys and girls are always spot on. Though honestly, 100/10 would be more accurate.
The idea behind it is as simple as it is brilliant. Founded in 2015 by Matt Nelson, then a college student, it began as a fun project that quickly took off.
“I started it as a Twitter account because I was already having so much fun creating on that platform, and all signs pointed to dog content being loved by so many,” Nelson told PR Daily. “I was, and still am, obsessed with dogs so it was the perfect combo of a passion project that could entertain more than just myself.”
People immediately got on board. Users sent in their dog photos, Nelson rated them (always above 10/10, of course), and paired them with witty captions that melted even the most cynical of hearts. Within months, We Rate Dogs became viral.
Today, the account has grown into a full-fledged brand with millions of followers across X, Instagram, TikTok, and more. “I think we’re up to 23 million followers across all the platforms,” Nelson told CBS News. What began as a hobby is now a proper business, and a wholesome one at that.
In 2017, Nelson made the bold decision to drop out of college, where he was studying professional golf management, to focus fully on We Rate Dogs.
“Once I realized that I had this passion for it and I was having so much fun, nothing I was doing in school was assisting me with that,” he told The Washington Post.
At first, Nelson managed everything himself, going through thousands of daily submissions. “In the beginning, it was staggering,” he revealed. “It was probably close to 5,000 to 6,000 submissions a day.”
Choosing which dogs to feature felt nearly impossible. “Every dog is the best and every dog is the cutest,” Nelson said, and we couldn’t agree more.
Eventually, he built a team to help, and together they turned the wholesome project into something even bigger. Beyond spreading joy online, We Rate Dogs now uses its massive platform for good. The team launched the nonprofit 15/10 Foundation, which raises money for dogs with medical or behavioral challenges that make adoption difficult.
“We realized that we had actual influence,” Nelson explained. “As soon as that became apparent, we started pointing our audience in the direction of those who needed help.”
