Henry Friedman

How did @Keepingfinn come into being?

When I left New York City, I was looking for an adventure at the end of my 20s. I started off aimless, but Finn changed that. I knew I was keeping him, but I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. My only job was to keep him alive on that trip — to hold the leash while my brother took pictures! I think what’s pretty cool about my story is that it is organic and it’s happening in front of everybody. This experiment of mine has developed into a real-life story. We’ve raised over $200,000 since we started, which has helped a lot of dogs and just feels great. And now, three years later, I’ve got a little family with Sydney and her dogs.

 How do you pick which organizations to support?

We want to work with purpose-based organizations that are dedicated to a specific mission, like Shelter to. Soldier, that rescues and trains dogs to be service animals for veterans. And then frontline dog rescues, like The Sato Project, that are taking on severe cases in Puerto Rico’s poorest communities. From a storytelling perspective, seeing the dog’s transformation is really compelling and engages people on an emotional level. Which is why Instagram is such a great vehicle to drive awareness for animal welfare. Dogs kill on Instagram!

What has been your most memorable part of the journey thus far?

A lot of the pleasure I get is from knowing that Finn is living his best life — no day is the same for him. We climb mountains together, then he charges down a trail while I slide down on my butt! Having a dog as a travel companion is amazing. This lifestyle has taught me that so many of these experiences are better shared. Like, you ever watch a sunset by yourself? It can feel kind of depressing. Finn is a dog, but I get recognition in those moments just by seeing how much fun he’s having.

What’s next for your rescue work?

One of our missions this year is to try to make animal welfare more inclusive. During the height of the Black Lives Matter reckoning last year, I searched for Black-owned animal rescues to support and only found a couple! We’ve worked, and will continue to work with CARE, whose mission is to create more diversity in the animal welfare world, especially in underrepresented communities. The power of dogs, right? Everyone should be able to enjoy that. In person — not just on Instagram.