A Golden State-turned-New Yorker corgi struts through New York City streets in style, sporting blue rainboots and a gray sweater that protect his rare, fluffy tricolor coat.
Henry was adopted by couple Justyna Torres and Daniel Stein-Sayles in December 2019. But even before Henry arrived, the two had created the Instagram account @thebrooklyncorgi, dreaming of the day their perfect dog would come along.
The couple applied to adopt a dog in Torres’s home state of California, and during the holidays, they got the call.
“We went back for a holiday, picked him up, brought him back on a plane, and he became a city dog ever since,” Stein-Sayles said.
Henry left the West Coast for Brooklyn just before the height of the pandemic. Stuck at home during the shutdown, Stein-Sayles found extra time to post regularly to the account. Within a year and a half, Henry had more than 15,000 followers.
“It took a lot of time and energy early on,” Stein-Sayles said. “He’s a little star, he’s got the face for it, he’s got the personality for it.”
While navigating a saturated market of corgi accounts, Henry stood out because of a rare recessive genetic mutation that gave him a fluffy tricolor coat of tan, black and white. With increased traffic on Henry’s account, his owners were able to secure partnerships and brand deals, bringing in extra income that even covered his pet insurance.
“He was paying his own bills for a little while,” Stein-Sayles said.
The account now has more than 22,000 followers, and although posts have become less frequent, Henry is still recognized on the streets of Brooklyn.
To keep up with the account, much of the content is filmed in batches and reused over time. After the pandemic, as work schedules returned to normal, Stein-Sayles began posting less often. Even so, many longtime followers have stayed, and some still recognize Henry in person.
“There are people genuinely that over the years, have been following him for his whole life or for years and love this dog,” he said.
Despite his celebrity status in New York, Henry leads a simple life at home, filled with walks, naps and playtime at his favorite park, Prospect Park. Even with this low-key routine, he has captured the hearts of many.
“He won a lot of people’s hearts,” Stein-Sayles said.
