This is a familiar sign that conjures up images of big, scary dogs like Arthur.
The only thing to “beware” of, however, when meeting Arthur the Irish Wolfhound is his adorable bashfulness and irresistible charm.
Omaha native and TikTok canine celebrity Arthur has made a huge splash on social media and in the hearts of humans everywhere.
Even though neighborhood kids and his TikTok audience have been convinced he is a mythical creature, gentle Arthur is just a lovable family pet.
Since starting her channel on a whim during quarantine, Suzanne Yancey, Arthur’s owner, has gained a following from sharing Arthur and their life together. Her TikTok channel, @dammitarthur, has 255.6K followers and over 5 million likes. A large following, though, was not a goal for Yancey; it happened accidentally.
“I really wanted to just send videos to my friends. I wasn’t trying to be some creator,” Yancey admitted.
Regardless of Yancey’s lack of desire to be a creator, people wanted to see Arthur. She was surprised at his popularity, admitting, “I thought it was novel.”
Arthur was a pandemic pup—the house was his only territory to explore for a while, and he never stopped being curious. Yancey posted clips of Arthur growing up, becoming taller than their kitchen counters, getting into plenty of trouble, and sharing what owning a rare breed means to her.
“It seemed to make a lot of people happy in kind of a terrible time,” Yancey said, “especially with the negativity that can come from social media and the negative news always in the world, Arthur is a positive part of fans’ lives.”
Arthur is now four years old and towers over most furniture. He even sees eye-to-eye with some adults. A furry definition of “gentle giant,” he is afraid of most objects put in his path, seemingly unaware that he could easily step over them. His days consist of waking his owners up to sit with him as they drink their morning coffee before work, after which he is visited by his daytime “nanny,” who keeps him company and talks to him. In the evenings, Arthur goes on his walk and gets into some obvious mischief.
“I’m pretty sure that’s a horse,” commented one TikTok user.
Fans have always commented jokingly comparing him to Clifford the Big Red Dog, Alf, numerous muppets, and more.
Yancey has additionally received comments with questions regarding the Irish Wolfhound breed, pet care, and costs. She saw her social media platform as an opportunity to share more about the rare breed and educate people on the realistic care and requirements of owning one.
She answered the questions, connecting viewers with the Irish Wolfhound Club of America (IWCA), detailed how best to find an ethical breeder for a pure-bred dog, and more. “Having a realistic expectation of the dog that you’re going to bring home is only going to prevent dogs from being in shelters,” Yancey said.
Additionally, Penny, Yancey’s other pup and Arthur’s partner in crime, has had health issues as well as a gene mutation called the MDR 1 mutation—both of which Yancey has touched on in videos, shining a light on a common canine health concern that many are unaware their dogs could have.
Apart from educating, Yancey’s platform is also in support of the Nebraska Humane Society (NHS). She spoke about always supporting the local humane society where she lives, and one day noticed an option to put a button on her profile for people to donate to the Nebraska Humane Society.
Yancey’s mindset was, “Just throw this up there and see if it helps,” she said. “I don’t make any money doing this, so if anybody wanted to give me a tip or something, I just told them to donate.”
Her account has been promoting the Nebraska Humane Society ever since.
With this button on her profile, fans are directly given the option to donate to NHS. Numerous fans have done so through Yancey’s platform, connecting Yancey and Arthur’s TikTok channel to the society’s mission of education, shelter, and promotion of responsible pet care and ownership.
What Yancey started on a whim for her close friends has become a positive platform of education, advocacy, and promotion of community efforts.
We can all learn from her page—and a thing or two from Arthur—on being carefree, curious, and gentle.
Visit Yancey and Arthur’s page on TikTok, @dammitarthur or www.tiktok.com/@dammitarthur, to catch Arthur going about his day.
This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
