Illinois Dog Names

There is no shortage of Illinois dogs in pop culture. Take Manny, a French Bull Dog who lives in Chicago’s West Loop. A social media celebrity, it is likely that Manny has way more Facebook friends than any of us. Manny’s humans, Amber Chavez and John Huang, purchased the pup at a discount price from a breeder who thought that the pup, the runt of his litter, was unsellable. He was four and a half months old at the time, which is older than most buyers are seeking. When they met Manny, they fell in love and the pup is now getting the last laugh with over 800,000 Instagram followers.

Manny’s fame began innocently. His humans created his Instagram account as a way to share photos of their new pup with their family and friends. Soon, however, other people were noticing the cute pup and his followers grew to the point of where Chavez, his human, is his full-time manager (as well as the manager for his siblings, Frank, Leila, Filip and Liam).

Manny is not only known for being cute; the pooch is known for his philanthropy. The pooch has helped raise over $100,000 for charities like the ASPCA and the Special Olympics. Manny and his humans collaborated with American Apparel on a T-shirt for the ASPCA and the French Bulldog Rescue Network and have also hosted fundraisers and embarked on a U.S. tour to benefit charities. Manny and his humans hope to one day have their own charity.

Twin brothers Badger and Angus are also internet famous. The two English Bulldogs live with their humans, Christy Simpson and Matthew Beaudry in Wrigleyville. Huge Cub fans, the pups like to roam their neighborhood in custom Cubs jerseys. The pups also enjoy wrestling, car rides and eating treats like bananas, apples and pizza crust. 

You don’t have to be a Bulldog in Illinois to be well-known. Jud, for example, is a Great Dane with a social media presence. Born in Springfield, the pup came to Chicago as a puppy. Jud’s human, Aaron White, and his girlfriend did not intend on getting such a large dog (they were considering a Doberman), however, upon meeting the pup it was love at first sight. Now weighing 150 pounds, the pup enjoys Palmer Park and the places where he can enjoy the sunshine.