"My dog is family. And just like I post photos of my family members, I also post photos of my dog - just twice as much," stated Stevany Lim, a 29-year-old woman who runs the Instagram account belonging to Elvis Barksley, an Alaskan Malamute.

In the beginning, Stevany created the @elvis.barksley account to post photos of her dog Elvis (and her late dog, also named Elvis, who she now calls Elvis Sr.) separately from her personal page. Four and a half years later, the account is verified and has amassed hundred 160,000 followers from different parts of the world.

That same shift from fun-to-fame happened to husband and wife duo Edison Wang and Jessie Febrina, proud paw parents behind @meet.the.wonderbutts account. The account began as an archive of their corgis: Patrick, Ben, Lizzie and the late Ian.

Like Stevany, Edison and Jessie want to be called “parents” in relation to their dogs, instead of “pet owners.”

"At first, we just wanted to create something to archive memories of our dogs, along with their behind-the-scene-stories. That was our only intention," Jessie told The Jakarta Post. Yet their consistency in posting high-resolution photogenic furball pictures has popularized their pets. Like Elvis, the corgis are now widely recognized online, with 64,000 followers.

That number of followers is a metric of one's social-media influence. But while offers of endorsement flood their message box, Stevany, Jessie and Edison share the same value of not utilizing their dogs as a tool for money or fame.

These furry Insta personas are fitting to be called “dogfluencers”, a term that has come into use in recent years with more dogs becoming popular on social media, particularly Instagram (usually dogs owned by human influencers). Yet Jessie and Edison reject that label. As Jessie told the Post, "We are not averse to the term, but we prefer to be called responsible dog parents. After all, the word dogfluencer holds different weight as we never aim to influence or encourage people to do anything."

With legions of followers, their platforms serve many purposes from educating other paw parents about anything related to the wellbeing of dogs, including how to raise them in healthier ways.

Stevany, Elvis' mom, goes the extra mile. She has opened a free consultation for any kind of dog-related problem. Despite not coming from a professional background, she has extensive knowledge of the canine world from her experience as a breeder and online pet shop owner.

"I do this [free consultation] full time, 24/7 with zero rest days. I even have an archive of my clients’ data. The name of the dog, the sex, the environment and the problems they are having. If I cannot address their problem, I will refer them to professionals," said Stevany.

Jessie and Edison want to use their voices to convey an important message about dog rearing. "We want to encourage people to be better dog owners. Next, we also have been attempting to promote the rise of dog-friendly spaces," said Edison.

He adds, "We have partnered with some malls and restaurants, providing consultations about what works best to create a safe space for dogs and the parents. It is for free, and we don't charge them as we do it out of passion. To be quite upfront, it comes more from a selfish point of view as we long for the blossoming of dog-friendly places here in Indonesia.”

The sight of these fluff balls posing for cameras radiates warmth to whoever sees it. Hendy Aristo, one of their followers, describes his affinity with their content. "I like seeing dogs gracing my timeline a lot more than I enjoy seeing actual influencers," said the 34-year-old dog owner.

No matter how people benefit from these accounts, whether for pure enjoyment or dog-rearing knowledge, these dogs are leading the canine conversations on the internet and in real life. Some have their own meet-and-greet sessions with fans, while others act as hosts at animal-related events.

The joy that spreads through the Instagram accounts goes both ways. To Stevany, helping other pet parents to get to the bottom of their dogs' problems gives her meaning in life. "When I can solve somebody's problem, which they’ve been struggling with for years, it brings indescribable joy. I feel like I am useful, I am a better person, and I am expressing kindness."

As for Edison and Jessie, their fondness for taking pictures of their babies brings them fulfillment.

Said Edison, "We feel like we now have a voice that people - especially dog owners - are listening to. It gives us the ability to make a difference. Knowing that our posts could bring change to a dog's life is the biggest reason for doing what we do.”