Bellingham’s Barking Babe, otherwise known as Stephanie Fleishman, has been no stranger to favorite social media app, Instagram. The Western junior joined the site almost four years ago. What really brings her out as this week’s campus celebrity is her new Insta page, BarkingBabes, a profile dedicated to our furry barking friends of Bellingham!
“I’m obsessed with dogs, of all types,” Fleishman said. “Everyone always told me to start an Instagram dedicated to dogs, since most of my posts on my personal account were dogs anyways.”
Fleishman, who previously worked as a barista at Starbucks, now starting a new job at Wood’s Coffee, said while working at Starbucks customers would always bring their dogs through the drive-thru making it easy for her to meet and pet new dogs.
“I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love a cute dog, so I decided why not make an account dedicated to the dogs I find in Bellingham, so I can share the joy that I get from meeting them!” Fleishman said.
The BarkingBabes account states that it is “here to bring tears to your eyes and joy to your heart. Indulge in non-stop cuteness, from a wet nose to puppy toes. Confessions of a RUFF life.”
There’s no doubt that Fleishman plans to own a dog in her near future, specifically her dream dog, the Golden Retriever. At the moment, she is currently pursuing a degree in English with an emphasis in literature in secondary education and hopes to graduate in the Spring of 2016.
When she’s not managing her account, she is reading her favorite Young Adult books or when it’s nice out, venturing to the great outdoors where everyone always brings their dogs so she can snap a picture of their floppy ears.
It’s not question that she is a dog fan, when asked Fleishman responded, “That’s an understatement, I have always told my friends that I won’t worry if my future husband says he doesn’t want to have kids, as long as he wants dogs, I’m ecstatic.”
“Sometimes when I run into a new puppy I literally start tearing up because of how overwhelmed and happy I get, and that is not an exaggeration, and yes I am obsessed,” Fleishman said. “I can’t walk past a dog without petting it, so for example if I’m going to Boulevard Park for a 30-minute walk, it usually turns into an hour because of all the dogs.”
Still new to Instagram, the BarkingBabes account has 118 followers. Fleishman’s goal for the account is to have every dog lover on Instagram follow her. Not a dog lover? No worries, she is positive that her account can turn anyone into a puppy fanatic.
“Being able to tell people that their precious dog is being posted on an account that people see and love is my favorite part about having the BarkingBabes Instagram!” Fleishman said. “People love hearing that other people love their dogs, and get to see them!”
Whenever she is on campus, she keeps her eyes open for future candid canines.
“The purpose of this account is to bring light to all of the dogs in Bellingham, and for people to see all the cuteness that I get to witness!” Fleishman said.
Fleishman will be continuing her account throughout the rest of her college career and into her professional life as long as Instagram exists. She encourages everyone to follow her account and start using the hashtag #BarkingBabes so she can find more puppies for her page.
To follow Stephanie Fleishman’s BarkingBabes account click HERE!