Beloved Instagram Senior Dog Hero Saves Puppy Mill Survivor
Steve Greig, beloved for running one of Instagram’s most heartwarming accounts, @wolfgang2242, has built a community of more than one million followers by sharing the daily lives of his large family of senior rescue dogs. His account is not only a joyful celebration of the seniors currently in his care, but also a living memorial to the many he has loved and lost — each time one passes, he honors their memory with a heartfelt tribute that is sure to bring his followers to tears, while also opening his home to another senior in need. Recently, Greig used his platform to speak out against puppy mills, highlighting the adoption of the newest member of his pack to shine light on the unimaginable suffering endured by dogs trapped in this cruel industry.
Photo: @Wolfgang2242
The newest member of the @wolfgang2242 family is a little poodle-type dog that Greig named Ortha. Ortha was rescued from a puppy mill where she had been used as a breeding machine, kept in a shed with nothing but hay to sleep on. According to Greig’s post announcing her adoption, the puppy mill she came from “usually auctions the old ones off or they euthanize them if they lose a litter.”
Greig went on to say that Ortha had a vacant look in her eyes when she first arrived at his home and sudden movements terrified her, but even after a lifetime without love or kindness, she is slowly starting to warm up and feel safe with him and his other dogs.
Ortha may not fully understand it yet, but she is now safe, and she will live out the rest of her life in peace, deeply loved by a human who has nothing but compassion for the animals in his care. Her story of hope is so different from that of many mother dogs, used and abused by the cruel puppy breeding industry in the United States, who never know the love and kindness she will now enjoy.
While individuals like Steve Greig are doing so much to champion dogs in need and bring attention to the cruelty of puppy mills, the American Kennel Club continues to betray the animals they claim to care about. Right now they are lobbying against several animal welfare bills in Congress, including Goldie’s Act — named after a golden retriever who suffered and died in an Iowa puppy mill after years of USDA inaction. Goldie’s Act would strengthen enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act and finally hold chronic violators accountable, but the AKC has chosen to stand with backyard breeders instead of dogs.
Ortha’s survival shows what compassion can do, but her story is also a reminder that countless other dogs remain trapped in cages, bred over and over, and treated as nothing better than commodities. Real change requires more than individual heroism — it requires systemic reform.
We can’t all be Steve Greig, but we can each play our part to make a difference for dogs. You can do that today by signing our petition telling the AKC to stop supporting puppy mills and by sending a letter to your member of Congress urging them to cosponsor Goldie’s Act. Together, we can fight for a future where no dog has to suffer in a cage, and every dog has the chance to know safety, kindness, and love.