When we came across the Krista Meets Dogs Instagram page, we all had the same question – why didn’t we have that idea?
It’s simple, yet as far as we can see it’s not been done in Vancouver before. That’s until freelance photographer, musician and mega dog lover Krista Zerbin moved here at the start of the year.
Born in Edmonton, and spending years living in California and New Zealand, Krista has recently decided to make Vancouver her home, and she’s fallen in love with our local dogs in no time – obviously!
You can see just some of the adorable local dogs Krista has met so far on her Krista Meets Dogs Instagram page, where she documents all the cute furry friends she meets on the daily.
“My page is a documentation of the dogs I’ve had the privilege of petting, and been brave enough to ask to take a photo with!”, laughs Krista.
“It’s been a really fun excuse to get to talk to new people and make new friends (furry and human), that I otherwise would probably never have met!”
So, how did Krista come up with the idea?
“I was out on a camping trip in Canmore with some friends and we kept running into so many cute dogs! More accurately; I kept running across the street to go meet the cute dogs I’d see!" laughs Krista.
“My friends thought it was funny and snapped some pictures of me petting the dogs, and as a joke suggested we make an Instagram page to share all the dogs I meet. And alas, @kristameetsdogs was born!”
Krista regularly posts photos of dogs she meets around Vancouver, whether it’s on hikes, out shopping, or at Farmers Markets, she’s always on the look-out for an opportunity to get some puppy cuddles – and who can blame her?!
As dog lovers, we all know how hard it is to walk past a cute dog Downtown without wanting to stop and give its head a scratch, but sometimes we just aren’t feeling brave enough to approach their owners.
Well, luckily, Krista has some good advice!
“Generally, I’ll approach the owner first and just ask if I can pet their dog! People tend to be pretty open and friendly when they’re out with their dogs, and when I mention my Instagram and ask to take a picture, most owners think it’s funny and are totally game to let me try.
“I’ve got to say, of all the models I’ve worked with, dogs tend to be some of the most difficult because they’re often just too happy and curious to pose for a picture!
"But that’s part of the fun of it I think; being able to capture these hilarious moments of joy that these dogs have while meeting new people.
“Maybe we can all learn from these dogs and be more open to making friends with people we don't know!”
We are definitely jealous that we didn’t come up with the idea ourselves as it’s pretty much any dog lover’s dream – but we’re glad we came across Krista’s page and will be keeping an eye out for any Vancouver dogs we recognize!
For Krista, there’s an added bonus on top of cuddles from cute pups.
“I think it can be pretty easy for people in a big city to walk through life in their own little bubbles, but I’ve found that dogs can be a great way to break down the barriers between strangers and connect with other people in your neighbourhood.” smiles Krista.
“I hope to meet many more of my furry neighbours soon!”
Check out Krista's page and see if you recognize any familiar faces!