Holly, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, recently went viral when her owner, Lauren Clark, posted a picture of the two donning matching graduation gear.
Clark, a University of North Texas student, has been known for walking her tiny and stylish pup around the school campus. Since getting the dog as a gift from her parents for Christmas in 2020, the two have been inseparable.
While Holly has been a fixture on the UNT campus, it was not until the graduation photo went viral that the rest of the world was introduced to the tiny pup.
To help make an impression, Clark hired Kari Sawers. Sawers runs Karisfancypups, an Etsy shop that sells custom outfits for canines. She sells custom costumes and outfits for a variety of occasions, like Halloween or St. Patrick’s Day. Sawers even sells patriotic dog gear and, of course, graduation outfits.
As it turns out, the graduation fit was a hit, with the Instagram post generating nearly half a million likes in the first five days.
“Holly is my baby, and it’s been great to see that so many people love her as much as I do,” Clark told the Dallas Observer.
The now-famous photos were taken by Adrienne Rubenstein, a veteran photographer with over a decade of experience. She runs Adrienne Leigh Photography based in Dallas, which focuses on capturing special moments, like graduations.
“I don’t think anyone was surprised to see Holly in my photos… I feel like everybody in my program knows my dog’s name if they know me. I’m just glad to share something that’s super special to me, which is Holly,” Clark said of the viral photo.
