Culture

Dogs of Tesla: This Super Cute Twitter Account Is Using EVs to Save Pets

Account owner Margaret has been sharing her experiences.

by Mike Brown

Tesla is getting some paws-itive reception. A new Twitter account called “Dogs of Tesla” has been sharing some of the best crossovers of mutt and machine, with dogs enjoying a ride in Elon Musk’s vehicle of choice.

It seems like a straightforward way of reproducing the success of other pet-themed accounts: “WeRateDogs” has accumulated over seven million followers by sharing cute pet pictures and rating them out of 10. But while an electric vehicle-focused dog account offers a fun twist on this winning formula, San Diego-based account owner Margaret is also working to promote a good cause.

“I help transport rescue dogs from high kill shelters in my Tesla and document this here in hopes of encouraging others to do the same,” Margaret tells Inverse. “My friend Nalyne Lunati who I met on Tesla K9 Facebook group inspired me, as she regularly transports rescue dogs in her Model X.”

The term refers to shelters more likely to euthanize animals to reduce overcrowding. It’s a controversial topic, as so-called “no-kill” shelters have received criticism for turning away animals that need help out of fear of overcrowding. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has dismissed such policies as they “don’t prevent animals from dying,” instead “simply leave animals to die elsewhere — and often miserably.” Margaret’s work focuses on finding good homes for pets, using the Model S as a transport vehicle.

Margaret is a big fan of Tesla. After Musk asked for advice on how Tesla can help with the California wildfires, she shared her experiences with the Model S’ Bioweapon Defense Mode. She was one of many users to praise the company for including the feature, which can filter outside air to breathable levels.

The “Dogs of Tesla” account originally started as a way of sharing photos of her dog, a French bulldog called Frankie, hanging out in her car. It has since moved into including other dog photos, while also collaborating with the hashtag “FrunkPuppyFriday” dedicated to sharing pictures of pets in the front trunk of the Tesla.

Since starting the account, Margaret has adopted a German Shepherd called Maggie Maye. While walking her new dog earlier this month, Margaret captured video of a giant rocket leaving the SpaceX campus in Hawthorne on the back of a truck, sparking rumors that the Falcon Heavy was due to fly again after it launched Musk’s cherry red Roadster into space back in February.

“Dogs of Tesla” has also been sending its pets forward as volunteers for Musk’s latest projects. Last week, Musk posted a job ad for The Boring Company, looking for a volunteer to shout things in a French accent from a watchtower Monty Python-style.

With Tesla fans also chipping in to offer surprise test drives and ensuring a dying man could try out the Model 3, it seems the community is continuing to place its efforts in making a difference.

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