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We RateDogs has grown into one of the biggest digital pet platforms on the internet — but when Matt Nelson first launched it, a career in dog ratings was the last thing on his mind.
Then a 19-year-old student studying Professional Golf Management at North Carolina's Campbell University, he started an account sharing cute dog photos on Twitter simply to — well — kill some time.
His razor-sharp humor, combined with some of the most adorable photos on the planet, proved to be an unexpectedly potent recipe for success: when the account debuted in 2015, followers climbed by the thousands — and today sits at just past nine million (or a combined 12 million across Instagram and Facebook). By age 21, he was pulling in six figures just for rating dogs on Twitter.
"I love dogs. I love Twitter. I love making people laugh," Nelson tells Modern Dog, reflecting on the account's origins. "Those passions, mixed with being a bored college student, is what eventually led to WeRateDogs."
Turning a social following into serious money is big business these days, especially with opportunities in merch and brand collaborations, which can generate enormous revenue. Put simply, the shot at a dream dog-filled career that also paid the bills was far too good for Nelson to walk away from.
"I still love golf," he says, "but when the chance to drop out and work with dogs full time came knocking, I had to take it."
WeRateDogs has also left an outsized imprint on dog-internet culture; beyond becoming a brand of its own, the platform birthed now-ubiquitous terms like "pupper" and "doggo." If you follow any dog meme accounts at all, the two words are essentially impossible to escape — even in 2022.
"It's a fascinating thing to have such an influence on," Nelson shares. "Depending on your take, I'll use this chance to apologize to anyone who feels personally victimized by 'pupper' and 'doggo.' My peace offering is that we haven't used those words since 2017," he adds.
Through his devoted following, Matt Nelson of WeRateDogs has raised more than $2 million to help dogs in need — and he's keeping the feel-good momentum going with his own charitable organization, the 15/10 Foundation.
While the account will forever be known for people sending in photos of their dogs for a rating ("don't worry, they always get above 10/10," Nelson reminds readers),it has grown into so much more in recent years. In 2020, WeRateDogs helped raise over $1.3 million for pets in need by resharing links to fundraisers — pushing them past the $2 million mark in total funds raised.
"As soon as the account took off, we started getting GoFundMe campaigns from followers who couldn't afford their dog's medical bills," he explains of the charitable beginnings. Shortly after, WeRateDogs began sharing fundraiser links every Friday.
"We featured our first one in 2016, and the support was overwhelming. Ever since, we've been committed to helping a dog in need every week and have raised over $2 million to date."
In some ways, it's little surprise to see Nelson, now 25, channel his love of dogs into a business; dogs have been woven into his life from the very start.
"My family has always had Golden Retrievers. We never went more than a few months without one!" he says, remembering his childhood companion Zoey fondly, who still lives with his parents along with a more recent addition, Sizzle.
Today, he's a proud doggo dad to a pooch of his own — one who happens to be the "CEO" of WeRateDogs. "I adopted what's now an 11-year-old German Shepherd in late 2020. His name is Doug, and he's my wonky-eared wolf baby," he says of his best friend. "We also crowned him CEO of WeRateDogs."
Together, Nelson, Doug, and his team have gone beyond helping people and their pups on platforms like GoFundMe. Recognizing their capacity to do more, they launched their own non-profit in 2020, aptly named the 15/10 Foundation. The name, naturally, references their Twitter ratings — 15/10 being the highest score ever awarded.
The charity focuses on dogs whose medical needs stand between them and adoption and forever homes. The concept was actually inspired by Doug. When Nelson adopted him, the senior dog was arthritic, suffered from ear infections, and didn't get along well with other dogs. Had Nelson not stepped up, Doug's chances of making it out of the shelter were slim. The 15/10 Foundation finds dogs like Doug and removes their financial barriers to adoption through sponsorship, fast-tracking their happily-ever-afters.
For Nelson, launching the foundation stands as his proudest achievement to date.
"We've spent years immersed in the whole financial ecosystem of the pet world and spotted a gap that a passionate audience of dog lovers could fill," he says.
As for what's next, Nelson hopes to keep growing the platform to do even more for dogs in need — while keeping the laughs coming on new frontiers, like TikTok.
"We hope to keep entertaining the way we always have. I've dipped my toes into TikTok, which has been creatively rewarding," he says. "But our main focus going forward is transforming the power of this incredible community into an even mightier force for good through the 15/10 Foundation."
Looking ahead, Nelson hopes the WeRateDogs name becomes recognized around the world as a force for good for dogs.
"We'll probably always be known as the 'heckin 12/10 puppo' account," he says, "but hopefully one day soon we're far better known for rescue and adoption."
Originally featured in the award-winning Modern Dog magazine. Subscribe today!
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