Meet Sprinkles and Emily Strober — the pair behind Tampa Bay Weens, a monthly meetup group for all dogs under thirty pounds, but primarily dachshunds.
Hundreds of people bring along their furry friends together, which Strober says is all Sprinkles doing.
Sprinkles is a local celebrity, with over 250 thousand followers on Instagram. Stober said he became famous for his classic side eye.
“He has so much personality. He’s just like a classic dachshund. If you know anything about dachshunds, you know they’re very vocal, a little bit needy, but he’s just the sweetest,” Stober said.
First-time attendee Derek Williams said he comes for his brother’s dachshund, Milo, and the community the events have formed.
“This is my first time here, and it’s amazing. I don’t know if you guys have seen all the other wiener dogs, but it’s a nice community of just owners of wiener dogs,” Williams said.
Strober agrees that the connection with the pups is important, but the true community goes far beyond that.
These humans give back to the community. With each event, a portion of the proceeds go towards a cost.
“It really is the humans, the human connection — people just hanging out, meeting each other, making friends,” Strober said.
This particular event sponsored Skyway Dachshund Rescue. They brought in four dogs, including senior dachshunds and corgis, who are looking for forever homes.
Volunteer Alexis Rayelle hopes bringing these furry friends to events like this will help their journey.
“I’m hoping that at least somebody looks at them and, you know, is interested,” Rayelle said.
Strober said she brings in rescue groups because a dog can completely change your life.
She got Sprinkles after she graduated college, when she was struggling with anxiety.
Strober said her best friend Sprinkles has changed her life. Now, she does social media full-time, between running @sprinklestheweenie and @tampabayweens on Instagram.
“I consider myself the dachshund lady; he’s changed my life,” Strober said. “Aside from social media, he is my best friend. He’s gotten me through a lot of challenging times.”
What started as a small group in 2023 has now grown into a large community, with each meetup hosting over a hundred humans and their pets.
“If you have a wiener dog or even if you don’t have a wiener dog, you’re welcome at our events,” Strober said
There are just a few house rules if you want to bring your furry friend along — nice “weens” only, keep an eye on your dogs at all times, clean up after them, no toys or treats, only dogs under thirty pounds and to have fun.
You can catch their “Halloweenie” meetup on October 25th for a costume contest at the Carrollwood Dog Park.
If you miss that event, you can see what’s coming up on the Tampa Bay Weens’ Instagram page.